Just a Rose
by Tzoa
Summary: BatB retelling. The beast was never cruel, and never put under a spell as means of punishment. He was cursed by a witch who haunts him to this day, using him to get what she wants. But her next victim might be the key to breaking the beast's curse.
1. The Wish

Just a Rose

The small, practically empty room never looked so inviting. The young woman sighed and dropped all of her books on the rickety desk and fell back into her bed. She closed her eyes and reveled in the silence. It was calming, comforting and short lived.

The phone on her nightstand rang, shattering the little pieces of sanity that Elliot Miller was just beginning to piece back together. She picked up the phone and asked, "Hello?"

"Ellie!" Her father's voice worked wonders. The anxiety and stress from the long week washed away at hearing that simple word. "How's college going for you?"

Elliot frowned then and sat up, her back against the wall. "It's going all right. I'm having a lot of fun, meeting new people and learning a lot."

_Lies! They're all lies!_

"That's great!"

Elliot instantly felt bad for lying, but it would crush her father to know that she hated school. Her father always wanted his girls to go to college, since their mother never got the chance.

Jamie Miller had died when Elliot was nine. Her sisters were only four and two, so they didn't remember, but Elliot did. The days before she died were almost as bad as the death itself. The sparkle had left her bright eyes and her face was so pale, making all her freckles stand out like crows standing in the middle of a snowy field. Jamie had been a calm and quiet woman, but that didn't mean she wasn't any fun. She would take Elliot in the backyard and they would spin until they were too dizzy to stand. She taught Elliot how to climb trees and hang upside down from the branches. But Jamie wasn't a wild, flighty person like her eldest daughter. She wanted to be a teacher, but they didn't have enough money for her to go to college, and even if they did, who would watch the girls?

Marly, the youngest sister, probably did want to go to college, but she was too rebellious to admit it. If their father said walk, she would run. If he said sit, she would stand, and probably jump around the room as well. She loved her father, but she had always wanted to be her own boss. She didn't want to be a "puppet", as she put it.

Sammy, the middle sister, believed that she was too good for college. She's been a model since high school, often appearing in magazines and on billboards, advertising the newest dress or makeup. It made Elliot sick to see her sister selling herself like that. She was paid to wear the skimpiest outfits… but Sammy loved it, so Elliot never said anything.

Elliot never wanted to go to college, either. She was the opposite of both her parents. She was an adventurous girl with her head in the clouds. For a year before she went to college, she went on a road trip across the states, doing odd jobs in small towns to make enough cash to buy gas and food. She slept in her van and sometimes went weeks without bathing. She went weeks without seeing people too, so there was no one around to tell her how bad she smelled. She was too flighty for college. She didn't want to stay in one place for longer than a year, and she had no idea what college would do for her. She had no idea what she was going to do with her life, a fact she would never tell her father.

She often found it strange. She loved to travel, but she hated being away from her father. She was always calling him and when she was out of town she sent him letters. Even though she had two siblings, her father was all she had.

"I wanted to talk to you in person," her father said, "but I'm on a very tight schedule, and I'm sure you are too.

"Remember when I told you about the conference in New York? I wasn't supposed to go, but Ronny got sick. I was next in line to go."

Elliot's eyes widened. "You're going to New York? For how long?" A tiny part of her was jealous, but the rest of her was worried and anxious. Her father hated traveling, and as flighty as Elliot was, she had to be away from her father for too long. She called her father twice a day while she was on her road trip.

"Only a week. I'll call you every day."

"I'll still miss you, Daddy."

Roger laughed. "And I'll miss you. Now, what is it you would like me to bring you? Marly wanted me to get her some books, and Sammy wants more jewelry." Elliot rolled her eyes, and she was pretty sure her father did as well. "Tell me what it is you want."

"I'm not a child. You don't have to bring me anything."

"Ahh, but you still insist on calling me Daddy."

Elliot laughed, running her fingers through her unruly hair. "All right, all right." She thought about it for a moment, but she knew that there was nothing she wanted. Books and jewelry meant nothing to her. "How about… a rose."

"A rose?" her father repeated, perplexed.

"A rose. Just a rose. If you must get me something, then it is a rose I would like to receive."

"Okay, Ellie, I'll get you a rose," Roger said while chuckling. "I have to go. A taxi is coming to pick me up in twenty minutes and I haven't finished packing."

"You're leaving tonight! I was hoping we could go out to dinner or go skating before you left."

"We'll do that when I come home. I promise. Cross my heart."

Elliot smiled and nodded, even though her father couldn't see. "All right. Have a safe trip, and don't forget to call me. I love you."

"I love you too, sweetie." Elliot took the phone away from her ear and hung up. She really had no right to feel so upset. How many times had her father watched her walk away? Ever since she was in elementary school she loved to travel and she went on every school trip she could go on. But what if something happened to her father? New York wasn't a very safe place to be….

She chuckled and shook her head. "I should stop watching so much T.V. I've never been to New York, how do I know if it's safe or not?" But a nagging feeling in the back of her mind told her that she should be worried.

It was a Friday night. She was sure that there was a football game her friend wanted her to go too, or was it some club? Elliot couldn't remember, and in any case, she was too exhausted to do much of anything. She had been finishing up projects and trying to catch up on schoolwork all week. Thankfully, it was spring break now so she didn't have to worry so much. She did have more catch up work to do… but that could wait, right? She nodded to herself and prepared to go to bed.

The phone rang again.

She growled and picked up the phone. "Hello?" she asked, trying her best to keep the annoyance out of her voice.

"Ellie!" Elliot groaned. Only two people called her Ellie, and she only wanted one of them to.

"Hi Eric." She didn't sound very happy, but he didn't seem to notice.

"Where are ya, girl? We're all down at the bar."

_That's where I was supposed to go!_ "I'm really not up to umm… bar hoping. That's not my thing."

"That's cool," Eric said, and Elliot thought he would say good night and hang up. She wasn't so lucky. "We can meet at the bar and go skating. I heard you loved it."

Elliot did love to skate, but she didn't want to go with Eric. He was a nice young man, but he was also a player. Everyone on campus knew that he had dated almost every girl at school. Elliot knew for a fact that he dated three girls at the same time. For some reason, the girls never found out about each other. Elliot didn't know what Eric wanted with her, but she wasn't curious enough to ask. He might think she was starting to come around.

"Thanks for the invitation, Eric, but I'm really not in the mood to go out today. I'm really tired."

"No problem, Ellie."

Elliot didn't have the heart to tell him not to call her that, so she said goodnight and hung up.

Across town Eric Dawson and his twitchy "shadow" stood outside a lively bar. The boy behind him kept shifting his weight from his left side to his right, then standing on one foot and then hopping to the next. James always followed Eric around, even when Eric threatened to "knock his front teeth out" if he didn't go away. Therefore, James was dubbed Eric's Shadow.

"Dude," James drawled while pushing a thick, oily strand of blond hair out of his face. "Why do you bother with that girl? It's not like she's pretty."

"What are you talking about?" Eric's words were much smoother than James', and had an angry edge to them. "She's gorgeous." He could picture her now and he smiled at the sight. She had a well-developed body, even though she insisted on wearing loose, stained pants and ratty tee shirts. Her hair was short, reaching her earlobes at its longest, but the auburn strands were wild and curly. Her eyes were the best. They were a brown green color, but were orange near the pupil. "Her eyes are wonderful…"

"They're scary." James bit his lip and looked up at the dark sky as if he were wondering when it had all gone black. "I take that back. It's not just her eyes that are scary, man. I think she's mental."

Eric whirled on his friend, anger in his eyes. "Have you seen her? She wanders around the city staring at nothing. I swear, her head isn't screwed on quite right. She's going to lose it one of these days."

Eric smacked James upside the head. "Moron. She's wild and free, and I must have her! But why does she keep turning me down? I want to be the man who tamed Elliot Miller." He stalked down the street, trying to figure out how to get Elliot to see what he was offering her. His shadow followed close behind.


	2. The Lonely House

Chapter Two

This time Elliot didn't procrastinate. The day after her father left for New York, she did nothing but work on her science project and English paper. Writing twenty-five pages about Charles Dickens had at first sounded interesting, but after the seventh page Elliot was having a bit of trouble. Nevertheless, she got all of her work done by Tuesday, and had also made up three more excuses to why she couldn't go out with Eric. By Thursday, she thought he had given up on her. He hadn't called yesterday.

When she was finished with all her work, she found herself bored. She had read all of her books, and she wasn't really in the reading mood anyway. Not after being inside for six days. She longed for the fresh air and sun that she had been denying herself all week. She also wished her father were back. She would take him to see a movie, then go skating or hike through the hills that surrounded the little college town. She was so bored, she thought about calling one of her sisters, but then she remembered that Sammy was somewhere in Europe and Marly was in Florida with her boyfriend for the month.

Elliot sighed and plopped onto her couch, getting ready to flip through the channels. It was times like these that made her want a roommate, or a pet at least. The house was so quiet sometimes. It was eerie and it pushed down as if this emptiness wasn't really empty at all. It was a living, breathing thing that only wanted Elliot to be miserable. The thought of getting a roommate came up often, but that thing would push it aside and she would let it.

Thinking about it, Elliot realized she didn't really have any friends that would be willing to be her roommate. She had always relied on her father for social interaction when she wanted it, and now that he was gone, she realized how lonely she was. The living emptiness had won.

"How sad… I'm almost twenty-three and I have no goals in life, I haven't gone on a date in years and my father is my only friend." She hit her forehead with the palm of her hand. "Stupid Elliot…"

Of course, Elliot wasn't without goals and dreams. She wanted to explore the world, and learn about past cultures. She considered being a historian, but she was much too antsy be stuck in a museum. She thought about being an anthropologist, but that would require more school. She hadn't even been in for a whole year and she was struggling. If she had to do more work and stay in one place for much longer she would go mad. What she really wanted to do was travel, and learn about stories and folklore through the people she met. But that required money, which was something she didn't have.

"This is such a horrible life. What I should do is quit college, get a job and travel the world. But father will be so disappointed…" She sighed and rolled off the couch onto her feet. Outside, it was getting a little gray, and she decided to take a quick shower and enjoy the nice weather while it lasted.

It was a lot windier than she had thought it would be. It whipped her short hair into her eyes and she had trouble seeing at first. Before leaving, she had grabbed a sweater and now she was glad for it. Her hair was still drying from her shower and without the extra warmth she would be freezing.

She wandered around downtown for a while, examining the buildings and people. In the main square, the road and sidewalk were made of red brick, and the lamps on the corners were odd. They had rings around them, metal flags and a checkerboard pattern up the pole. They reminded Elliot of something that Alice would see in Wonderland. There was a mime on one corner, and a kid was playing his guitar on the other side of the street. Elliot was just beginning to enjoy herself, and she thought about buying a hotdog when she heard a voice that made her cringe.

"Ellie!" She turned to see Eric Dawson striding towards her, a confident smile on his chiseled face. His black hair was slicked back and he wore a fine blue jacket with a crisp white shirt under it. All he needed was a tie, shiny black shoes and a briefcase and she would have thought he was a lawyer going to court. He knew he was going to win the case. It made Elliot smirk. Eric must have mistaken the look as one of pleasure and he beamed. "It's good to see you! Gosh, I haven't seen you since spring break started."

Elliot snorted. Who said gosh? Eric was definitely not the type to go around saying that.

She knew what he was doing. He was trying to look like the good boy all the stereotypical straight A girls went for. Maybe it was because his "bad ass" routine hadn't worked…. Well, Elliot hated stereotypes, she wasn't a straight A student, and she wasn't buying his act for a second.

"Well, gee, you're right! It has been _such_ a long time since we got to hangout."

Elliot regretted mocking him, she felt horrible the second the words came out of her mouth. But he didn't seem to mind. His friend, James, did. He scoffed and shook his head, but Eric didn't notice that either.

"So are you feeling better? You told me you had a bit of a stomach flu on the phone."

Elliot nodded, but inside she was cringing. She really did feel awful about lying to him. She had never had any experience with guys, and so she didn't know how to turn him down. She always found herself making some sort of excuse. "About that…" she started, then looked down when she saw Eric's smile falter. The boy playing the guitar began to sing, and kids were laughing as the mime climbed an invisible ladder. "I was never really sick." She looked up and felt a little burden come off her shoulders. "I'm really sorry Eric. I've been lying to you because I don't know what else to do. I think you're a good guy; I'm just not interested in dating you."

Eric nodded, his smile completely gone now. "I think I get it," he said slowly. He had been looking over Elliot's shoulder, but now he turned to look her in the eye. "You're a lesbian." It wasn't a question, and it threw Elliot off guard. She stared at him, wide eyed, and didn't say anything. She was too surprised to laugh, even. "It's okay, I understand. That's hot."

Now she was angry. Her face turned red and she clenched her fists. "So a girl can only turn you down if she likes girls!" She started out quietly, trying to control her anger, but by the end of the question she was yelling. A woman passing by turned her head to watch, but Elliot ignored her. "It is possible for women to not be attracted to you, Eric!" He just raised an eyebrow and grinned as if to say "You're kidding me, right?" Elliot growled. She really didn't want to do this, but the whole truth was the only thing that would make him leave her alone. "I'm straight, Eric! I like guys, just not you! You're the most repulsive, manipulative, womanizer I've ever met. You make me sick, and I don't understand why you would waste your time with me."

James said, "Neither do I."

Eric looked stunned, and once again didn't hear his friend. He didn't look at all hurt, only confused. It was impossible for his mind to accept the fact that he had been turned down AND insulted. Elliot turned around and walked back down the street, not caring what he had to say. She was still too mad to think straight, and she didn't notice when it began to rain. She was soaked, and her hair appeared to be a dark brown mass of curls that stuck to her face and neck. By the time she realized that she wasn't so mad anymore, her sweater was soaked through and she was shivering. Thankfully, she was near her house and after a five minute jog, she was standing in her kitchen making hot chocolate. She couldn't believe the nerve of him! "He thinks he's some kind of god!" she muttered to no one as she stirred her hot chocolate. "Well, I think he's a fool." She took her mug to the living room and sat down, wrapping a blanket around her. She looked to the empty spot on the couch next to her and sighed. She again wished her father were there with her so she could lean on him and tell him how horrible she thought Eric was. But there was no one there, so she sipped her hot chocolate and flipped through the channels.

* * *

The meeting had ended early, and Roger had a few extra days to spend in New York. He would have gone home, but he couldn't trade his ticket in for an earlier flight, so he was left to wander the city by himself. True to his word, he had called Elliot every night. He didn't have much to say, and neither did she.

He felt horrible for Elliot sometimes. He knew she was unhappy at college, especially since she didn't have any friends. She never went out with anyone but him, and her Friday nights were reserved for no one but him. And Roger didn't say anything because he loved to spend time with Elliot. It was killing him inside to know that he might be destroying her chance at true happiness, but he couldn't bring himself to tell her that she didn't have to go to college. He was so proud of her, and he knew that if Jamie were alive, she would be proud too.

_Stop trying to justify yourself,_ he thought as he tried to wave down a taxi. Someone got the one he was trying to wave down and he searched for another yellow car. _She isn't happy…_

A taxi pulled up near him and he got in after putting his suitcase in the trunk. He had gotten Sammy a silver bracelet with pink and green gems. It looked like vines with blossoms growing from them. He was sure she would like it, but he doubted Sammy would ever wear it. He had gotten Marly a leather bound version of Moby Dick. She had always liked that story. Now all he had to get was a rose for Elliot. He smiled at the thought of coming home with nothing but a rose. No, he would come back with a bouquet of wonderful, beautiful roses for her. But they could not be from any old corner shop. No, those weren't good enough. Wild roses would be best.

He wondered why he was going through so much trouble to get her the best roses when they would be ruined on the flight back. He knew Elliot wouldn't care, but he did. She had to have the best. He had always thought that Elliot had never been quite as happy as her sisters. It wasn't like she was neglected, he treated all of his girls the same. Though, he did have to admit that he spoiled Elliot more… but Elliot never seemed to notice. She didn't want the extra stuff. But he gave it to her, because all along he felt a little guilty. Ever since Jamie died, Elliot did everything in her power to make Roger happy. She learned how to cook so he wouldn't have to when he came home late and she did better in school so she never had to ask him for help. Elliot worked all of her life for him, and she never complained. And he didn't either. A part of Roger thought that if he gave her nice things, it would make up for everything he had never done. But buying things for her wouldn't make him a good parent. He had the chance to correct his mistakes, but he let that moment slip away.

He looked out the window and was glad to see that they were out of the city. For the most part. All the large buildings and people were far behind them.

"You pay big extra," the cab driver said with an Indian accent. Roger nodded and looked back outside. He had done some research and found a nice looking bed and breakfast out of the city. It was out in the middle of nowhere, really. He would like to spend the rest of his trip there relaxing.

Roger had nodded off and was jerked awake when the car began to shake and make rattling noises. The driver was swearing and hitting the steering wheel as the car slid to a stop. "No, no, no!"

Roger rubbed the back of his neck. Sleeping in cars was never good… "What happened?" The driver continued to swear, and Roger could see smoke coming from the hood. "I think I'm going to walk the rest of the way…" he said, a bit uncertain. They had stopped in the middle of a dirt road with no buildings in sight. On the right side of the road was a thin forest with mostly white birches, their trunks looking like rolled up newspaper to Roger. To the left there was nothing but endless fields, the grass dry and yellow. The driver had gotten out of the car and was looking under the hood, swearing. Roger took the map he got from the hotel and looked at the dot he had circled. He got out of the car and asked the driver what road they were on.

"Ehh…" he said while scratching his head. He looked defeated and tired, but suddenly his face scrunched up in anger and he kicked the cab. "Stupid car!" He swore at the vehicle and didn't notice Roger until he cleared his throat. "We on Birch." He pointed to the birch trees and Roger nodded. The bed and breakfast was just off of Birch.

"I'll walk from here."

"You pay first!" The man ran towards Roger as if to tackle him. Roger quickly pulled out his wallet and gave the man three twenties and told him to keep the change. He got his suitcase from the trunk and began to walk down the road, waving to the man.

After half an hour of walking, Roger was cursing his stupidity. The bed and breakfast was an hour drives away, and he was walking. In a business suit. In the middle of the day while the sun was at its highest point in the sky. Roger's clothing was soaked with sweat. His feet ached from rubbing on the shoes that were too big. One of the wheels on his suitcase had broken so it was constantly falling over and dragging it was more of a pain now. He sighed and walked on, hoping that he would at least find a rosebush.

Roger made no progress three hours later. The road was straight, so he couldn't have taken a wrong turn. He was sure he was supposed to have reached the bed and breakfast by now. Unless the cab driver had been mistaken and he wasn't on Birch road at all, but Beach. He groaned and looked at the map. Birch road was curvy and went east. Roger was positive he had been going south for a long time. He couldn't believe his rotten luck. He would have turned around and gone back if he hadn't seen a plume of smoke coming from the top of the birch trees on the right. He frowned and continued to walk down the road. Soon, he came upon another road that broke off of Beach and went into the forest. The road was thinner and in worse condition than Beach. It was all dirt and rocks and there were potholes everywhere. But, just down the road, he could see a house. It was small from this far away, but he was sure that the smoke was coming from the house. "Maybe they'll let me use their phone." He dragged his suitcase to the side of the road and hid it in some bushes, not wanting to go through the trouble of dragging it down the road. He then walked towards the house, not feeling so full of dread as before.

The house was only two stories high, but it was wide and he knew that it was probably long, too. The style reminded him of an old fashioned cottage, complete with the ivy climbing up the walls. There was a wrought iron fence that cut through the forest and kept him from walking up the now brick path to the large porch. There was a cushioned bench on the porch, and the grass in the yard was neatly trimmed and much darker and fuller than the grass across the street from the forest. But it was all blocked from him. He couldn't get in. He groaned and leaned against the fence. It swung open under his weight, but it was so slow that Roger didn't notice until he was falling through the open gate. He caught himself on the fence and looked at it. There was no lock on the fence and he felt foolish for not noticing. But why bother having a fence at all if you're not even going to lock it? "They must not get much company anyway," he said aloud as he walked down the wide path to the porch. Everything was made of red brick or a smooth, gray stone. The building, though very large, at first appeared homey, and something out of a fairy tale. Roger wished he had his camera. Ellie would love to see this house. But as he got closer, he got an odd tingling feeling along his spine and the hairs on the back of his neck and arms stood up. He was suddenly very cold, but very hot at the same time. His skin was clammy and cold but his heart was pounding and blood was rushing to his head, making him feel dizzy. He felt as if he had walked though a barrier of some sort. He stopped and looked behind him. Nothing seemed out of place. No blurriness, no haze…. But why did he suddenly feel different? As if a plate of slimy noodles had been dumped down the back of his shirt?

These alien feelings passed, but the thought that something was amiss did not. He walked slower now, looking around him for some sort of clue that would let him know why it was so different here. There weren't any.

He walked up the steps to the large front door and knocked on the door, ignoring the old, silver knockers. "Hello?" he called. "Is anyone home?" He stood there and waited, fidgeting and wishing he had worn different shoes. When there was no answer, he picked up the silver ring and hit it against the door. "Hello?" He let go of the knocker when he saw the doorknob turn. The door opened slowly and when it had stopped moving Roger stepped inside. The foyer was large, with a spiraling staircase to the right, a set of double doors at the far end of the room and an open door on the left wall. The floor was a lightwood and a large dark rug had been placed in the middle of the room.

"Hello?" Roger was beginning to get a little worried. There was no one in sight. Who had opened the door? He didn't hear anything, but he knew there was someone here, not necessarily in the room, but someone did live in the house. He didn't know it because everything was spotless, but because when he stepped inside, that odd, slimy feeling down his back came again.

He wandered the foyer, examining the tapestries on the wall and the statues against the free wall space. His favorite was a statue of a rose, with glass petals and leaves and a marble stem. Above him, a chandelier hung. The crystals sparkled in the light. "Hello?" Roger turned away from the chandelier with a frown. Maybe the door was all ready open and him knocking it had merely pushed it a little. Maybe no one lived here at all.

He almost laughed at that idea. If no one lived here, then the rose statue, and everything else of value, would be long gone.

He left the foyer and went through the open door. In that room, there was a round, glass table with a plate of food on it. Roger almost missed the raised stage in the back of the room, and the wide windows that looked out onto a courtyard. The food smelled so good! He went towards the plate. Steak and red mashed potatoes and corn… and in the middle of the table there was a basket of rolls, steam rising from the white bread. There was only one plate of food, and one glass of wine. "Is anyone here?" Roger asked, but was all ready sitting down, despite the voice in his head that told him he was being rude. "It is all right if I eat?" When no answer came, he smiled and picked up the fork by the plate.

* * *

A clawed hand tightened around the handle of the mirror it held, staring not at its reflection, but of an aging man in his dining room. The hand that was holding the mirror was shaking, as was the rest of the beast. He wanted to scream at the man. Leave! Run! But the words got caught in his throat, strangling him.

The voice that was everywhere and nowhere laughed. It came from his head, but it echoed on the walls surrounding him.

"Leave him be…" the voice said. It was the most horrible voice he had heard. Parched and scratchy, it sounded like sandpaper being rubbed against a chalkboard. "He is of no use to me… but I am finding your nervousness to be amusing." The voice laughed again, and the beast could feel her presence leave him, for now.

He let out a deep breath, closing his eyes. He was still shaking, still sweating. He opened his sad, empty eyes and stared at the mirror longingly. But by now the image was gone and he only saw his horrible reflection. With a growl, he tossed the mirror to the bed and began to pace the room, waiting…


	3. The Most Beautiful Rose

Disclaimer: Dang, I forgot to do this for the first two chapters. I'm sure you all know that I don't own Beauty and the Beast, or anything else Walt Disney did, for that matter. But just because it's the rule… I do not own Beauty and the Beast or any of the original characters. But you won't find them in this story, anyway…

Chapter Three

Roger woke up feeling more refreshed than he had in a long time. He smiled and snuggled deeper into the soft pillow. After eating dinner alone, he had wandered the house, finding hundreds of rooms. Most were empty, but some held chess tables, pianos, and easels with a pile of canvases next to them. In one room he even found a large workbench, with an old tool case on the floor and scraps of wood surrounding the workbench.

There were many rooms that had beds and dressers. There were at least twelve bedrooms in the house! At one point, he thought that this building was the bed and breakfast he was looking for in the first place. But if someone here were running a business, then he would have seen the owner or other visitors by now. After wandering around for many hours, he had gone off to one of the more modest bedrooms and went to sleep.

But even after hours of exploration, he had not found a phone. Or a television or computer, either. He hadn't seen anything that required electricity. Everything was old fashioned, but at least they had plumbing. He didn't have the courage to take a shower last night, in case the owner of the house suddenly burst in and demanded that he leave. But he felt amazing this morning, as if nothing could go wrong, so he took a long bath. There was no showerhead, which Roger found a little odd.

He must have been in there for an hour or more, because when he left the bathroom that adjoined the bedroom, he found a pair of jeans and a button down shirt on the bed. His old shoes were gone and replaced with a pair of new sneakers. He looked around, as if to catch the person who gave him clothes, but there was no one but him in the room. The bed was made, and the window was now open, with the curtains pulled back. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and there was only a gentle breeze. If he didn't know that he had to catch a plane that night, he would have stayed for another few days. And he missed Ellie. He left his cell phone in his suitcase and when he realized this, it was too dark for him to leave and go get it. He should have gone, he thought now, but he had been too scared that there would be something on the road. Someone waiting for him…

He changed quickly and left the room, surprised that the clothes fit him.

In the hallway, he got that feeling again, the feeling that something was wrong and something slimy and cold was sliding down his back. He wasn't sure what it was exactly, or what it meant, but he didn't like it all. His day suddenly didn't seem so good. He was in a stranger's house, and someone was leaving him clothes. He was thankful, but he also found it a little creepy. Why wouldn't the owner come out?

Roger went into the foyer, intending to leave, but the dining room door was open again, and he could smell bacon. He went inside and found another plate of food at the table. He sat down and ate the pancakes and bacon slowly. He watched the closed door at the other end of the room, expecting the cook to come out and ask why he was eating his breakfast.

No one came, and after he finished the glass of orange juice he was given, he turned to leave. Something red in the courtyard caught his eye and he stopped. He turned to look out the window and his eyes widened. A rose! The most beautiful and marvelous rose he had ever seen was outside. The bush it was on was small, but the stem was long and thick, and the bud was perfect. Every petal was deep red, and not a one was out of place. There were two other roses on the bush, but neither was as perfect as the one that had first caught his eye.

Elliot had to have it. He would give her this wonderful rose and tell her all about his stay in the house with invisible owners. He went to the door leading outside and opened it slowly. He had expected it to be locked. With a large grin, he stepped into the courtyard and went towards the bush. He didn't think the owner would mind him taking a rose. They had given him so much, what was the worth of a single rose?

* * *

The beast was pacing his room again. The curtains were pulled, and the candles had not been lit. Ever since the accident, as he called it, he preferred the darkness to light.

He felt something stir in him. "Ah… you are awake," said the voice. The beast cringed, wishing the voice were not in his head. He wanted to see the being that was speaking to him so he wouldn't feel so insane.

"Yesss…" he said, his voice soft and quiet. He hated the high, slithery tone in his voice.

"Let me see him…."

The voice that spoke to him sounded so weak and frail, but the beast knew that the woman could kill him if he dared defy her. He felt a pressure in his mind, a grip grabbing his brain and he winced. He picked up the mirror from his desk and looked into the glass. He didn't look away when he saw his horrible face, but instead thought of the man he had seen the night before. The image twisted. All the colors blurred and separated, then came back to make a new image, with new colors and shapes. He saw the man in the courtyard, approaching the only rosebush they had. At this realization, he tensed and began to sweat.

"No!" the voice screamed. "Keep him away! Don't let him touch my roses!" The beast threw the mirror to the bed and ran out of the room. He took the stairs two at a time, his hand barely grazing the banister. He only moved so fast because the presence of the woman had not left him. He could feel her anger in him, and that was what propelled him forward.

He pushed open the door to the courtyard and ran to the man so fast he didn't have time to turn around. He grabbed the man's arm and made him turn to face him. The man stared, surprised at first then yelled in horror.

"I let you ssleep in my bed, wear my clothesss, eat my food and thiss iss your thankssss?" He hated himself now, seeing the man cowering in fear. "Sssstealing from me? I ssshould lock you up!" These were not his words. He couldn't hold them in even if he tried.

"No! Please, don't. All my daughter wanted was a rose…"

"A daughter?" the voice asked, intrigued. The man was rambling on now, talking about his late wife and his three daughters. Of course he hadn't heard the voice, what was the beast expecting? Still, he was a little disappointed. "Ask about the daughter."

The beast asked, "Tell me about the girl who wanted the rossse." His grip on the man's arm loosened just a little bit and the woman either didn't notice or didn't care.

The man stopped and looked up to stare at the beast. It was the first time anyone from the outside had looked at him, and he resisted the urge to turn and hide.

"She's beautiful. And smart, and adventurous. She works too hard for me. She's always trying to make me happy…."

He could feel the woman grin. He could feel her thoughts running through _his _mind and he hated it.

"You can go free," he found himself saying, "if sshe comessss to take your place."

The man's eyes widened once again and his face turned red. "No! I could never put Ellie in danger!" He clamped his free hand over his mouth when he realized he had said her name and the beast smiled, though it wasn't his smile.

"Then I will lock you up!" The woman made him drag the man out of the courtyard and through the dining room. They went through the door in the foyer and down the hall. At the end of the hall, they stopped in front of a door and the beast pulled a key out of his vest pocket and unlocked the door. All the while, the man was begging him to let him go.

"Please… Ellie will miss me so. I'm all she has, and she is my world!"

But the beast was forced to ignore him. He didn't even let his face soften with sympathy. The door opened and they went down a set of stairs. The stairway was narrow and dark and the man was shivering by the time they reached the bottom. He had to open another door, but this one had a small hole with bars in it. He pushed the man into the small prison and closed and locked the door.

"No, please just let me go home! I won't tell anyone."

The beast was all ready up the stairs, closing and locking the door. The man's cries stopped, but they had been so horrible and desperate that the beast had to close his eyes to keep the tears in.

"The girl." The woman was back. "I want to see the girl."

The beast nodded and went back upstairs to his room. It was hard to find the girl, since he didn't know what she looked like, but after several minutes of concentrating and staring into his reflection, the image began to change and contort.

At first glance, the beast thought he was looking at a boy. Her hair was so short and she wore pants. Her shirt was baggy, so it was hard to tell if there was anything under it. Not that he was looking there, of course.

But when he looked at her face, he realized that he had never seen someone so beautiful. The woman that controlled him tensed when he thought this, but he didn't care. The girl's eyes were odd, but he couldn't think of any other eyes he would rather get lost in. Her lips were dark red, full, and her nose small, and the shape of her face was perfect. Not too thin and not too round. Her cheekbones were high, and her chin stubborn.

She was sitting on a couch, her arms resting on her knees. Her feet were up on the couch and the beast was too caught up in her beauty to think that it was rude to put your feet on furniture. The rest of the room was blurry, but he didn't want to look away.

He noticed suddenly that she was sad. Her eyes were a little watery and her forehead was creased. She kept biting her lower lip and glancing at the odd device by her feet. Her feet were so small! He looked back to her face. Her eyes were closed now and she was running her fingers through her auburn hair. A tear fell from one eye and slid down her cheek. The beast felt his heart swell with pity. She was crying because of her missing father. He suddenly wanted to hold her, comfort her. But she wouldn't want a beast like him anywhere near her.

The woman laughed. "Your thoughts amuse me. But… I think she will be useful."

The beast panicked. No! She couldn't possible be thinking of bringing Ellie her!

"Write me a letter, my pet." She laughed again. "We will see how much she really loves her father."

* * *

Elliot was crying. Her father hadn't called last night, the night before he had to catch a plane. He hadn't called in the morning, and now it was noon. What if something happened to him? What if he had been murdered or kidnapped? The phone was at her feet, and she kept looking at it, waiting for him to call.

At two, she went to the airport to pick him up. "He's fine, he just got busy and couldn't call…" She knew he wouldn't forget to call. He had been up working so late and didn't call because he didn't want to wake her. "He'll come out, we'll get his luggage and everything will be fine. Everything _is_ fine."

She stood just outside the security area, watching the people go in and come out. She couldn't go past security since she wasn't catching a flight, but she wished she could. She wanted to see her father as soon as possible. She bounced on her heels, looking over people's heads to try and see her father. She stood there for half an hour before going to sit in an empty seat by the door. She sat there for forty-five minutes, her whole body tense. He didn't catch his flight… he hadn't come home. He hadn't called! She stood up and asked the woman behind the Frontier Airline desk about her father.

"Miller… Miller…Roger Miller…" the woman said as if she was scanning a grocery list, making sure she had put her father on it before heading out the door. She typed something, looked at her computer, and then typed something else. "I'm sorry, miss. Your father didn't check in today. I can call the people at JFK Airport if you want." Elliot nodded and the woman picked up a phone. Elliot wasn't listening to what she said to the person on the other line. Her father wasn't here…

"I'm sorry, but they haven't seen or heard from your father." Again, Elliot nodded, too shocked for words. She turned and walked slowly out the sliding glass doors. Her eyes were watery and tears slid down her face. She pictured horrible things happening to her father, him being stabbed or drugged and kidnapped or beaten and lying forgotten in an alleyway. In her worst visions, he had simply forgotten about her and had decided to live the high life in New York.

When she got into her car, she was too shaken up and scared to drive. She put her head on the steering wheel and cried for a long time. She missed her father so much, and knowing that he hadn't even entered the JFK Airport made her feel horrible and terrified for her father. Something _had_ happened to him, but what? She wanted to catch the next flight to New York City and look for him. But what could she do? Have a breakdown on the plane and then get lost after leaving the airport? How would that help her father? She decided to wait a few days, and if she didn't hear from him then she would call the police.

"The conference is probably just taking a long time… I bet he called me while I was here! There's a message from him on my answering machine right now."

When she got home, she rushed to the phone, but there was no message. She began to sob again. She fell to the floor and cried into her hands. She had never felt so alone before. She had never been away from her father without hearing from him, without knowing he was safe.

She didn't eat for the rest of the day. She lay on her couch, the phone on her stomach. Eric called three times that day, but when she saw his number on the screen, she let the answering machine pick it up.

"Hi Elliot," his first message began. "I just wanted to apologize for making assumptions the other day. And I forgive you, too, for saying the things you said. I know you don't mean any of it." Elliot's eyes narrowed in anger, but at least he had called her Elliot. It would only make her cry more if he called her Ellie.

His second message was much shorter. "Hey Elliot. Umm… call me back."

His last message went like this: "I know you're in there, Elliot! Why are you ignoring me?" Elliot thought of many rude things she could say to him, but she didn't dare answer the phone. "What is it? You would rather be with that crazy old man of yours than me?"

Elliot lost it then. How dare he call her father crazy? She wished she were with her father, and the fact that Eric talked about him as if everything was "normal" and he was here made her want to sob again. She hit the talk button on the phone and yelled, "You horrible prick!" into it and then threw the phone across the room. It crashed against the wall. Elliot sat up instantly. "Oh no!" She ran to the place where the pieces of the broken phone lay and scooped them all up. "What if he calls?" she cried.

She bought a new phone later that day and she stayed home the next day, even though it was Monday and Spring Break was over. She sat by her phone all day, watching the news just in case they mentioned a murder or kidnapping in New York. She checked her mail everyday, hoping that there was a postcard from her father. She doubted it, but maybe he was in a place where his cell phone didn't work and there weren't any phones nearby.

On Wednesday, she got an interesting letter in the mail. It wasn't in an envelope; it had just been folded so that the edges of the paper met in the middle. There was a red stamp holding it together, with a rose bud on it. In large, curved script on the other side of the letter was the name "Ellie". Her address was under her name.

Elliot's heart beat faster and her hands shook as she broke the seal. She was sure it was her father. She knew how much she liked old-fashioned things like this, and he had used a rose as the seal.

The letter read:

_Dear Ellie,_

_I am not that sorry to inform you that your father is being held captive in my house. He was caught trespassing and stealing, and I do not approve of either acts. If you wish to see him, go to New York City and find The Barrel Bar on the corner of Eighteenth Street and Madison Avenue. I will have an escort there waiting for you tomorrow at three P.M. If you are not able to make it at that time, then my escort will be there at the same time the next day and the next for four days. If you still have not come, then your father will be killed._

_If anyone is informed of this, then I will not hesitate in ending his life._

_Cordially,_

_The Beast of the House of Rose_

Elliot gaped and read the letter again. "No, no, no…" she murmured after the third reading and fell into a chair. "This can't be right, it can't be! Maybe it's someone else…" But she knew it wasn't. She had cried so much in the last few days that she didn't shed a tear now. She yelled and screamed instead, frustrated that she couldn't even cry, and angry with herself for letting her father leave. She was so angry and scared she didn't stop to wonder who The Beast of the House of Red was, or why her father would even think of trespassing.

When she had calmed down a little, she grabbed her sweater and purse and left the house, the letter in her hand. She drove back to the airport and bought a ticket for New York that left that night.

* * *

AN- Wow! Thanks for all the reviews you guys! Made me feel really good! XD Lol! I'm glad you thought the lesbian remark was funny, TrudiRose. I hope you all like this chapter. I was surprised at how fast I wrote it, but it is Saturday…. 


	4. The Beast?

Disclaimer: I do not own Beauty and the Beast.

Chapter Four

Everyone had stared at her on the plane. And now, standing outside The Barrel Bar on the corner of a _very_ busy intersection, everyone stared at her. Elliot wasn't surprised. She felt awful, with greasy hair, and a tear stained face. The skin over her cheekbones felt as if it had been stretched and there were blue bags under her eyes from not having slept well in days. It didn't help much that she was wearing slippers and pajamas with polka dots all over them. She had zipped up her sweater, but the pants were thin and her legs were freezing.

She had arrived at the bar at three thirty. An hour after her plane had landed. She looked around her, staring at the people passing by. People in business suits and jackets walked by, and a few homeless men were sitting by the bar. One held a sign that said, "Homeless Bill needs a rich woman."

How would her escort know that it was her that needed to go to the House of Rose? How would the person who held her father captive know if she had called the police? Of course she hadn't, but how would the beast know? All day she had been paranoid. She wondered if people were watching her, staring at her. But every time she looked over her shoulder, she saw no one watching her.

She had read the letter so many times on the plane that the creases were beginning to tear and there were marks on it from her sweaty hands. She read it again now, standing by The Barrel Bar. Yes, she was sure she was in the right place. When she had gotten out of the taxi, she had expected to find a large, bulky man standing on the corner with a sign that had her name on it. There was no such man, so she had to assume that her escort would know who she was.

Elliot was pulled out of her musings by something tugging on her sweater. She looked down and jumped when she saw a dog biting her sweater and pulling. "Umm… Hello." She said, feeling a little awkward. She looked around, hoping to find someone who seemed to be looking for something, a dog, to be more specific. The sheepdog let go of her sweater and looked up at her. She couldn't see his eyes because his mouse brown fur was in the way. She smiled faintly and leant down, pushing the fur away from his eyes. He seemed to smile then, opening his mouth a little and panting happily. "I'm waiting for someone, dog. I can't play with you." Where had the dog come from?

The dog barked and bit her sweater again, tugging at it. Elliot frowned and tugged back. "I can't, I have to wait right here. I'm sorry." The dog whined and tugged harder, then looked up at her. His eyes were a little sad, and he seemed desperate for her to understand something. Elliot looked around again. No one was staring at her, and she didn't hear anyone yelling "Rufus!" or "Spike!" She looked back to the dog that had decided to lie down and put his head on her feet. "Are you… my escort?" she asked the last part in a whisper, just in case someone was listening and decided she was crazy.

The dog sat up quickly and barked, wagging his tail. Elliot jumped back, her eyes widening. The dog seemed happy to have heard that question. Did he understand her? She hesitated before saying, "Bark once." The dog barked, and Elliot rolled her eyes. That didn't prove anything. Not really… "All right then, bark three times." The dog barked once, twice, and then a third time, his tail wagging faster. "Oh god!" Elliot yelled and jumped away from the dog. People slowed down as they walked by to watch Elliot now. Her heart was beating so fast she thought she would have a heart attack. The dog understood her! "No… you just had a very good trainer, that's all…" she said aloud, earning more stares. The dog whined in defeat and lay down, crawling towards her. "All right, all right. One more test. If you are my escort, then stand up on your hind legs and bark twice."

The dog growled low in his throat, but not in a threatening way. He seemed irritated, if anything. He stood up on all four legs then rose up on his hind legs. He didn't wobble at all. He seemed regal and majestic. When he barked twice, Elliot's face paled, her eyebrows rising. People around her began to clap when the dog dropped down to all four legs, and a kid handed her a five-dollar bill, thinking she had been putting on a show this whole time. Elliot took it, but couldn't look away from the dog. She was a little frightened, but mostly surprised. It was impossible for a dog to understand what she said…. "How…?" she started to ask, but stopped. The dog came forward and bit her sweater, pulling her towards the crosswalk. She didn't protest, and the dog sat down at the crosswalk. When the light turned green, he looked both ways before getting up and crossing.

Elliot stared, and started to laugh.

It was the most bizarre thing she had ever seen. The dog seemed so human…. She laughed and laughed, gripping her aching sides. Her eyes watered, but she couldn't stop. A dog… a dog had come to take her to her father, who was locked up somewhere. She fell to the ground and cried, but she was still laughing. Her poor father! She wondered what they had done to him. Had they tortured him? Were they feeding him?

She had stopped laughing and was sobbing now. The dog had come back and nudged her knee with a little whine. She looked up at him and stroked his ear. He looked worried, but when she stood up he wagged his tail and they ran across the street before the light turned red.

They walked along Eighteenth Street for a long time. Elliot was sniffing and wiping her eyes, wishing the tears had come when she was at home by herself. Now everyone had to see how miserable and scared she was. The dog walked in front of her, his tail wagging. He would look over his shoulder to look at her from time to time, and when he did his tail would stop moving and drop down. His shoulders seemed to sag when he saw her and his eyes looked so sad…

It was silly, Elliot thought, to think these things about the dog. It was odd how human he seemed, but lots of dogs were like that. It was why they were man's best friend. People's emotions affected dogs more than they affected other people. That was what Elliot thought, anyway. She had had lots of dogs in the past, and they had all looked sad when she was sad. But this dog… he was different. There was something strange about the way he looked at her.

When they had to turn, the dog would stop at the corner and push at Elliot's legs so she was going in the right direction. They turned a lot, and for hours they walked. Elliot had at first looked at the street names. The streets downtown were either numbers or named after old presidents. But in the residential area, the streets were named after trees, or places. They were walking along Birch road, now. There were houses on both sides of the street, with large lawns, fences and kids playing on the sidewalk. All the houses looked the same, except they were painted different colors. One house was dark green, another was mustard yellow and one was pink. There were no trees in this neighborhood, and Elliot felt out of place while walking down the road. Everything seemed fake…

She relaxed a little when they had left the neighborhood behind them. A field of dry grass was on both sides of the road. She started to talk to the dog when the sun began to set. Silence had always bothered her.

"Why did your master teach you to stand up like that and do everything else I said?" The dog looked at her and tilted his head to the side. He was walking beside her now. "No, I want to know. I doubt you really understand me. You're a dog." The dog grunted and looked forward. "So…" Elliot started, feeling awkward again, as if she had made a blonde joke, not knowing that there were natural blondes behind her. "Do you do this a lot?" she asked eventually. "The pay must be good, to go and fetch the family members of the people your master kidnapped." The dog started to wag his tail and Elliot grinned. "Dangerous work, I bet it is."

The sky was dark by now. Big, billowing black clouds had come in and had covered the setting sun. After she had stopped talking, she noticed how dreary everything around her was and it only added to the feeling of dread on her shoulders. At first, there had been street lamps that lit her path. But they were gone now. She could feel the dog's side rubbing against her leg the whole way. If it weren't for him, she was sure she would be lost.

They turned down a few more roads. They weren't paved, and after each turn it got worse. Elliot was tripping over more rocks and potholes. Her feet throbbed and ached from all the walking they had done. She couldn't see any city lights behind her or hear anything from the city. When she and the dog stood still, everything was quiet. It made the hairs on the back of Elliot's neck and arms stand up.

There were trees to the right, now. Tall, thin trees that swayed and tilted at odd angles. She stared at the trees once her eyes got adjusted to the light. She was worried that something would jump out of the woods and attack her and her… escort. She stopped when she saw a break in the forest. The dog stopped too and sat down, looking down the road. After a few moments, he stood up and walked to the side of the road, sniffing the bushes. Elliot moved forward, too, and moved the bush aside. Behind it was a dark red suitcase.

"That's my father's," she said, moving towards the suitcase. She pulled it towards her and out from behind the bushes. "He was here?" She squinted and read the nametag on the back. "Roger Miller…" She let go of the suitcase and stood up, looking down the road. "I go down here?" she asked the dog. He barked and Elliot didn't hesitate. She ran down the road, stumbling over potholes as she went. But she didn't slow down. "Daddy!" she yelled. The sky was starting to clear up a little bit, and the sunset lit up the sky. Up ahead, she could see a gate, and behind that, a house. Her father was there! She was so close now! Soon, she would be hugging her father and she could take him home! They would both be safe again and they could forget all about the House of Rose.

She pushed open the gates and ran towards the house. "I'm coming, Dad!" The front door was unlocked and she ran through. She slid to a stop, her slippers offering no friction at all. "Where is he?" She turned around, seeing the dog enter the house. He ran across the foyer and stopped at a pair of double doors. Elliot ran after him and opened the doors. The dog ran down the hall, Elliot following. _I'm coming, Dad… I'm coming, _the words ran through her head over and over again, like a broken record that she didn't want to fix or get rid of.

The door at the end of the hall was unlocked and Elliot ran down the stairs. The dog didn't follow. "Daddy!" she yelled. It was so dark that she didn't see the door at the bottom of the stairs. She ran across the small landing and hit the door. She fell back and groaned, rubbing her sore nose.

"Ellie? Is that you?" She could see something move through the bars in the door. Her father's face filled the hole and she beamed. "It is you!" He put a hand through the bars. Elliot stood up and grasped the hand. "You shouldn't have come, Ellie…"

"What do you mean?" she asked, tears falling down her cheeks. "I had to." It had been so long since she had last seen him! How could he say that she should have stayed home, knowing he was in danger? "Are you all right, are you hurt?"

"No, no. I am fine. But you must go. That horrible beast… he'll come back! He'll lock you up!"

Elliot was confused. There was fear in her father's eyes. But something else was there, too. A distant, scarred look. "Daddy… what did they do to you?"

"Shh! He's here…" He looked over her shoulder and grabbed Elliot's shoulder. "Don't look at him! Don't take any of his offers!"

Elliot heard a click clacking coming towards her and she stiffened. She suddenly felt so cold and exposed, standing there in her pajamas. The noise stopped and she could see a large figure standing on the steps. She could hear it breathing heavily. Was this the person that threatened to kill her father? Was this the person that locked him up and made him go mad? He didn't say anything and Elliot felt anger start to boil up inside of her.

"Are you the one that sent me that letter?" she asked.

The heavy breathing stopped, then came back only slower. "Yessss…." A quiet voice said. "I am."

Elliot clenched her fists. The thing in front of her had made her father miserable! How could he treat someone like that?

She lunged forward, kicking off the bottom step to tackle the man. "You horrible monster!" she yelled, punching him in the chest. They slid down the stairs and Elliot kept hitting him as she cried and yelled. "How could you? How could you do this to him?"

"Ellie!" it was her father. "Please, stop!"

She did, and she looked down at the man under her. Her eyes widened and she quickly scrambled off of him. He truly was a monster, with a narrow, almost shapeless face and long eyes. He had no nose, and instead of human skin he was covered in scales. She wasn't sure what color they were. At first, they seemed dark blue, then black and then green. His arms were long, and bent at the elbow. She doubted he could straighten them. His legs were large, and he had long feet like a rabbit's. Only they were scaly and had long claws on all three of his toes. He had a ring of matted fur on both his ankles and wrists, but no hair on his head. Instead of ears, he had thin flaps of greenish skin on the side of his head. They were pressed against his head, now. He wore human clothes, which she found odd. His shirt had three buttons near the neck, all of them unbuttoned, and he wore a black velvet vest over it. He had gray trousers that stopped just below his knees. His eyes, though very reptilian, looked sad.

"Wh-what are you?" she murmured, stepping away from him.

He stood up, moving at a slower pace than what seemed normal. She must have hurt his leg when she attacked him. "Assss you ssaid, missss," he said, "I am a monsster." When he spoke, she could see his thin, forked tongue and large fangs.

Elliot looked away. His eyes were no longer sad, but full of anger. "Please, just let us go. I want to take my father home…"

The monster shook his head. "No, I can't let you go. He was ssstealing. He hasss to sstay."

Elliot shook her head and bit back the tears. "Then why bring me here?" she yelled. "Why bother sending me a letter at all if I can't change anything?"

"Ellie, please…"

"I…" The beast started. She saw something in his gaze, something soft and almost caring, but it was gone in an instant. She wasn't even sure she saw anything at all. "It's only right for me to let you sssay goodbye. But hurry it up."

"No! I can't leave him here!" She looked at her father in the cell. He would go mad here, she knew he would. He was all ready starting to lost control…. She let the words spill out of her mouth before she could even stop to think about them. "Take me instead."

"Ellie! No! Just leave, I'll be fine."

But the beast was all ready unlocking the door. His movements were rushed. "Ssso be it," he said as he opened the door and grabbed the front of Roger's shirt, his claws tearing the fabric.

"No, please," Roger was saying as the beast pulled him up the stairs.

"Wait!" Elliot rushed after them, but the beast slammed the door at the top of the stairs behind him and Elliot couldn't open it. She slid to the floor, brought her knees to her chest and cried.

* * *

Roger was struggling against the beast's hold. "No! Let me go! It's my turn to be the parent!" He couldn't believe that Elliot had sacrificed herself for him. No, no… that was what a parent was supposed to do for their child, not the other way around! She had given him too much all ready… "Let me go!"

"The lady made a deal!" the beast snarled. "And jusssst becaussse sshe ssshows her love for you, doesssn't mean ssshe isss the parent." His words were quiet, almost sad. He threw open the door and tossed Roger onto the porch. "Leave, and if anyone comesss to look for Ellie, then I'll kill her." He slammed the door and locked it before Roger could say anything else. The beast's shoulders sagged and he leaned against the door. No, he could never hurt Ellie. Not sweet Ellie.

He had watched her all day, and most of last night as well. She had been so worried about her father. Such devotion was rare, or at least it was from his time. She fascinated him, and at first he had been elated by her request. But no… the woman who used him would also use her, he was sure of it.

He could hear her crying and he felt like the horrible monster he looked like. How could he be so weak and let this woman control him so?

The voice laughed. Why was she always laughing at him? "She's waiting…"

The beast shook his head. "No…. Pleasse don't make me lock her up. Not her."

"Hmm…" she was thinking. That could be a good sign… "You never cease to amuse me, Pet. You really think she could help you? Don't be daft, now. I will let you keep her." She laughed again. "My pet's pet…. But be warned, you cannot keep her forever." She was gone. The beast sighed in relief. He didn't have to be cruel with her. Well, for now, anyway.

He ran back to the door and opened it. Her small form was curled up in a ball by the door and she didn't look up, not even when he spoke. "Are… are you all right?"

She shook her head and he sighed. "I am sssorry…." Still, she didn't look up or say anything. He had to hurry…. "Come with me. I will sshow you to your room."

She looked up at him, her eyes watery but dull. That spark of life had had looked forward to seeing lately was gone. "What do you mean?" She stood up, her legs shaky. The beast wanted to help her stand, but he knew she wouldn't like that. "You're not locking me up?"

He shook his head and turned to walk down the hall. "Come with me."

She followed him, but didn't get too close. He turned down another hall and opened a door for her. "There isss a bathroom connected to your bedroom."

Elliot stepped into the room and searched for a light switch. There wasn't one. She jumped out of the way when she saw the beast come into the room. If he noticed that she was treating him like a filthy, slime-covered worm, then he didn't care. Or maybe he just hid his emotions better, now. He was engulfed in the shadows for a moment, but then an oil lamp he had turned on by the bed lit up his face. "Good night." He walked out of the room and started to walk briskly down the hall.

"Wait!" Elliot called, going to the doorway. The beast had stopped in the middle of the hall. "What… what did he steal?" she asked, a little cautious.

The beast turned and didn't say anything for a moment. He knew that it would hurt to hear what he had to say. "He tried to ssteal….. He tried to take a rosse." Elliot's breath caught and she looked away. "Goodnight, Ellie…"

She was suddenly filled with anger when she heard that name come from him. "Don't you dare call me that!" The beast stood there, stunned, as she slammed the door. With a sigh, he turned and ran down the hall.


	5. The Voices

Chapter Five

The moonlight gave the courtyard an eerie glow. All the shadows seemed darker than they should be at that time, and everything else seemed too bright. The two men stared at the rose bush, standing alone by the wall. It looked like a dark hole, ready to suck you in and never let you out.

The shorter of the two, a man with long, shaggy brown hair, scratched his ear with a grimace. He then slapped at it and left it alone, but his hand was twitching and he had to fight with himself not to scratch some more.

"How long do you think she'll last?" he finally asked, pushing the hair out of his eyes.

The other man looked down at him. His eyes were a very dark brown, and often looked pitch black. But they shone with life, excitement, and curiosity. "What do you mean?"

"Come on, Oliver. You know…" he glanced at the rose bush again and swallowed the nervous lump out of his throat. "You know that… the mistress…" the word sounded odd, as if he was trying to keep it on his tongue like a heavy pebble, but knew it had to come out. "She will eventually get to the girl. She'll prod and poke at her mind until she goes insane. Just like her father."

Oliver sighed and shook his head. His hair was long and wavy. He had it combed back and tied a ribbon around it at the base of his neck. "No, the beast made him go mad. I don't believe that woman had anything to do with it."

The other one nodded and scratched his ear. "Ah." He didn't say anything for a long time. The crickets in the courtyard chipped and chirped. "Well…" he said eventually. "What do you plan to do with her?" Oliver turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "I mean, the mistress obviously wanted to keep her here. She lured the woman here, and she knew she would sacrifice herself for her father. But… why?"

Oliver scoffed and clasped his hands behind his neck. "You know why, Silas. It's the roses."

"Well… yes, but… if that's just it, then why not lock her up now?"

Oliver turned around and opened the door to the dining room. It was darker inside than it was outside. "You know how she is," Oliver said over his shoulder. "It's all just a game to her, and Ellie is just another piece on the board."

The other man nodded, a frown on his face. "I hope the little lady will be all right here."

Oliver laughed, though it wasn't a pleasant sound. It was filled with hate and anger. "Don't worry, we'll make sure she's safe here."

* * *

Elliot had cried herself to sleep, and when she woke up she screamed in anger. If only she had chosen something more sensible! A book like Marly, or a map or something! Why did she have to go and choose a rose, the one thing that would ruin them in the end? If she had picked something else, she and her father would be home and safe and happy. But now… Elliot was a prisoner, and her father was on the verge of losing his sanity. She wondered where he was and what the monster had done to him. Whenever she thought about it too much, though, she would start crying again and see horrible visions of her father lying dead in a gutter somewhere.

She had woken up hours before the sun rose. After she had cried and screamed for a long while, she wore herself out and tried to sleep. But her traitorous mind wouldn't clear. Thoughts buzzed in and out of her mind like bees, busy as ever. _'How is Father? Did he get home all right? And what of the beast? What is he up to? He seemed odd, bi polar, almost. Mad one moment and horribly sad the next. Where did he run off to last night?'_

To try and clear her head, she got out of bed and left the room. There were candelabras on the wall, but only three or four candles were lit in the whole hall. She stumbled down the hall, her hand tracing the wall. She stopped when she entered the circle of light one of the candles offered. Odd, criss-crossing designs were painted on the wall. The strokes were fine and elegant and after long moments of staring, Elliot realized what she was really looking at. "Roses." And on the candelabra, too, were roses. The wrought iron vines made the branches that held the candles, and at the base of the vines was a rose. "Roses… they're why I'm here." She walked away from the wall and continued on. She suddenly wanted to see the roses her father tried to take, despite the fact that they had caused her and her father so much trouble. They must have been wonderful if her father really had tried to steal them.

When she entered the foyer she looked around in mild confusion and fear. The ceiling was high, for the second story of the house didn't go over the foyer. She could see a hall on the second story that looked over the foyer. The wood railing had been polished until it shone. The roof over the room was made of smoky glass, letting moonlight came in, though it was dim and milky. Shapes on the wall made from shadows kept shifting and changing before Elliot's eyes. She stepped into the middle of the room, feeling the thick rug between her toes. "Hello?" she called. Hadn't she seen someone move in the corner of her eye, or had that just been a shadow? When she received no answer, she went to the front door and tried to open it. It was locked, of course. With a sigh, she walked along the wall, hoping to find a door in the dark.

Her foot hit something solid and hard. "Ow!" she yelped and jumped back. A shadow covered half of the room, and she had just stepped into the darker side. She blinked and, after her eyes adjusted, saw a statue of a rose in front of her. "And I thought _I _loved roses…" she muttered. The beast must be obsessed with them if he would be willing to lock her father up because of them. That was what she didn't understand. He locked Roger up because he had tried to take a rose, not because he had trespassed.

She walked around the statue and when she found a door, she opened it and came into another room, not as dark as the foyer. There were large windows covering one wall, and outside she could see a courtyard with beautiful flowers. There were trees with white and pink blossoms, tulips, irises, orchids and many more wonderful flowers. The roses caught her attention almost immidiatley, though.

She could see why her father wanted them so badly. They were perfect and larger than any other roses Elliot had ever seen. The petals were a deep red, looking smooth and thick, even from where she stood. She opened the door and stood there in the doorway for a moment, letting the cool breeze wash over her. It made her shiver, but when it had passed, she felt calm again, as if the wind had taken a few of her burdens with it. She closed the door behind her and walked to the roses. They looked like silk up close, perfect and smooth. She stared at them, entranced, and raised her hand to touch one. Her finger was barely a hair's width away when she suddenly stopped. Her finger felt cold and stiff. Looking down, she noticed that it was turning a little blue. She tried to pull her hand back to look at it closely, but she couldn't move. Her whole body was stiff and numb. Her eyes widened and filled with fear. She tried to pull away again, but it was as if something had her in a strong grip. She couldn't move forward or backward. She tried to open her mouth to call for help, but her lips only trembled and the grip tightened so she couldn't breath. When she started seeing black spots dance in front of her eyes and she felt so dizzy she would fall over or throw up, she heard a horrible sound. It was laughter, but it was cruel and made her head ache. It was scratchy and dry and filled with a horrible anger and longing. When the laughter was gone, she was let go and she fell to the ground, gasping for breath. Her face was red and her eyes glassy as she lay there, trying to calm her beating heart. The wind ruffled the leaves of the rose bush and made the flowers sway. They were taunting her, laughing at her. She stood up, still staring at the flowers. She looked around, then, remembering that she had heard someone laugh.

"Who's there?" she called. Her voice was weak and sounded terrified. No one answered, but she had expected nothing more than silence. She dusted off her pajama pants and went back inside, holding her head in her hands. By now the sun was beginning to rise and she didn't want to be caught outside. The beast would probably be mad if he found out she almost touched the roses. "Unless…" she muttered as she walked down the hall to her room. "Unless he did that to me." She shook her head. "That's impossible. I was just cold. Nothing had happened…" She snorted and leaned against the wall. "It's impossible for him to control me, but it's possible for him to be a reptile man." She shook her head and was about to go into her room when she heard someone talking.

"I knew it! She's mad!"

"She is not mad!"

"She's talking to herself."

Both of the voices were high-pitched and quiet. Elliot had a hard a hard time figuring out where they were coming from. She couldn't see anyone, but if they were in a room then she couldn't hear them so easily.

"She's the "Loony Beauty" the mistress was looking for," the person chuckled. Elliot was pretty sure the person who thought was insane was male.

"Don't be mean." This person, Elliot was positive, was a girl. Her voice was higher and softer than the other one.

"What's she doing standing there like that?" the boy said.

There was a long pause. Elliot was tense as she waited for one of them to speak, or for someone to appear out of the shadows.

"Can she _hear _us?" the female asked. She sounded amazed and horrified.

Curiosity got the better of her. She wanted to know who these people were. Maybe they could answer some of her questions. "I can hear you." The two squeaked and Elliot could hear scurrying. "No, wait! I want to talk to you!" Elliot looked around, but the candles offered little light and there were few windows in the hall.

"It's rude to drop eaves!" the male voice called. Then everything was quiet. She hadn't heard a door open or close, but she knew they were gone. She crossed her arms and grumbled.

"And it's rude to talk about someone while they're in hearing distance," she said, not caring that the two couldn't hear her. She went back to her room and lay down on the bed. She had only been awake an hour or two, but she was already very tired. She was also scared and worried about her father, but she pushed everything to the back of her mind and went to sleep.

It was still light out when she woke up. The curtains were pulled back to let in the light. It didn't look past noon yet. Ellie stood up and went to the window seat, sitting down and looking out the window. It faced what she supposed was the backyard. There was a large porch and if she pressed the side of her face against the window and looked to her right, she could see a swinging bench. In the middle of the yard was a gazebo, surrounded by orchids. The gazebo looked old; the paint was chipping and the roof was missing quite a few shingles. Even the grass seemed old and tired. It was dry and yellowish brown. There were very few green patches. She frowned, looking past the gazebo. There was a high wooden fence that surrounded the yard and past that she could see tall trees. "A tall fence and then a forest. I guess they don't want me to leave."

As she stared at the flowers surrounding the gazebo, her mind wandered to the events of that morning. She shuddered just thinking of the roses now, so she fat forwarded to when she heard the people in the hall. That boy was probably right. She was insane. But where had they been? Where had they gone? Had they even been real? "Of course they were real, Ellie!" She sighed, thinking of the conversation she had overhead. She thought about this mistress they spoke of, wanting to know who she was. She was looking for something, or someone. It probably wasn't a "Loony Beauty" like the boy had said. So what did it mean?

She rubbed her head before she went too far back in her musings. She was starting to get a headache and she didn't want to think too much right now. She looked around the room, standing up and moving to the foot of her bed, where a dark wood chest sat. The bed was a full size and had cream and lilac colored sheets. The quilt was white and purple with light blue floral designs on the edge. On the left wall was a door and inside she found a large bathroom. She closed the door and went back to examining the bedroom. The carpet under her feet was thick and soft, a creamy color that matched her sheets. The window was wide, and the lavender curtains thin. The walls were painted an off white color and the doors were purple. Because of the clothes she saw on the chest at the foot of her bed, she didn't bother looking in her large, dark wood wardrobe by the bathroom door. The clothes weren't as old as the monster's had been, but they were still old. The skirt reached her calves and was full. A pink poodle had been stitched into the dark red fabric. The shirt was stranger, though. It looked as if it belonged in a theater. It was made of blue-green silk and had buttons going down it, but the line they followed was off center and so the buttons swerved to the right as it got nearer to the bottom. The edge was strange, too. One side of the buttoned material was longer than the other. The longer side was cut to a point near her waist and then cut in half and tied in a knot. There was a leafy pattern on the shirt and the sleeves were short. For a few moments she just stared at the shirt. It didn't go with the skirt very well, but she gathered up the clothes and went to the bathroom to take a bath anyway.

* * *

"I'll kill her!" the scream echoed in his mind. The scream turned into a laugh that would haunt him for months. The events of the past few days all swirled together to make a big, gray blob in his mind. There were significant pieces in this blob, but they were buried and Roger had no way of finding them. But he remembered that someone had threatened her. Had he said her name? He wasn't sure, but it didn't matter. He hated to admit it, even in his fuzzy, almost drunken state, but even though he had three daughters, there was only one "her".

But who would threaten his Ellie? Why would anyone want to hurt such a sweet girl? He should have done more to protect her. He was her father and he was leaving her in the hands of… in the hands of something he couldn't remember but was sure was awful.

He had ended up in the forest after being thrown out of the house. The road, the trees and even the sky all looked the same to Roger, who could hardly see through the tears pouring out of his eyes anyway. He wandered around the forest and even after he had stopped crying everything looked the same. The sun rose, but the forest was painted various shades of grays. Everything was gray and dull.

He tried to pull himself out of it, to focus on getting his daughter back. There had to be some way for him to rescue her without any help from the police. But he couldn't even remember who had her. He remembered the deep, almost slithery voice that had warned him but he couldn't put a name or face to it.

As he concentrated on remembering, the area around him grew brighter. The leaves were green, the sky beyond the leaves blue. When he realized this, Roger stopped and looked around him. "How did I end up here?" he asked, staring up at the bright leaves, shaking in the wind. He heard the hum of cars in the distance and started to run where he believed the sound was coming from. Perhaps he could find someone who could help, or at least give him a ride back to… back to his daughter.

Once out of the forest he had to climb a steep, tall hill to get to the road. He held onto the railing between the drop and the road once he was finally at the top of the hill. This road hadn't been the one he had walked along the day before, but he didn't know this. He couldn't remember walking down any road lately. But this road was busy and paved. He climbed over the railing, setting his right leg on the walkway between the road and the railing. As he lifted his left leg, his pants caught on the edge of the metal railing. He cursed and tugged at the material.

Before he could get his foot unstuck, a car pulled up behind him. He could hear it and he when he turned around his face, red from the climb up the hill, went white. The red and blue lights on top of the car weren't flashing, but the Sheriff's badge was as he walked towards Roger. The sun caught the star pinned to his blue shirt and made it shine.

"What seems to be the trouble?" the Sheriff asked, lowering his sunglasses to look Roger up and down. Roger wanted to yell at him, "Isn't it obvious? My leg is stuck, I'm lost and my daughter is gone!"

The fact that his leg was stuck was indeed obvious, but there was no way the Sheriff would know that Roger's daughter was gone. He might be able to see that he was lost buy looking in his eyes, but he was looking at Roger's muddy shoes instead.

As Roger stared at the Sheriff he thought that important, horrible things should be seen on one's face. That way the Sheriff would be able to help Ellie without Roger ever saying a word. The person who had threatened Ellie had told him not to say a word to anyone.

But, as it was, the Sheriff saw an old, wandering homeless man in front of him instead of a lost, desperate father. "Do you need any help sir?"

Roger had been tugging at the leg of his pants when the Sheriff spoke, but he didn't really hear anything. Thinking of the thread, his mind had suddenly cleared up and he remembered what had happened. The reptilian thing had his daughter. How could he have left?

"Shit!" he yelled just as his pant leg ripped. He fell onto the walkway but was up in a moment, jumping over the railing and running down the hill. He didn't hear the Sheriff say something in his walkie-talkie or jump over the railing to follow him. At the bottom of the hill, Roger tripped and as he was scrambling to get up the Sheriff came up from behind him and grabbed his arms.

"Why did you run?" the Sheriff asked, looking furious. Roger was crying again as he remembered the monster pulling him away from his daughter. Had he hurt her? Was she locked up like he had been?

He tried to find words to answer the Sheriff, but they didn't want to be found.

"I think I should take you to the station," the Sheriff said. He helped Roger go up the hill and into the back of the Sheriff's car. Roger was sobbing by now and he didn't seem to care that he might be going for prison. He couldn't tell them anything about Ellie or the monster, so if they decided that he was suspicious enough to stay in jail for a day or two, then there was nothing he could do about it.

* * *

He wanted to see her when he woke up. He had lain in bed, staring at the tall, beamed ceiling above him and tried to ignore the mirror's presence. The wooden handle and the glass were laced with power, or magic, and he could feel it pulling him, urging him to pick it up and look at Ellie.

His need to see her was bordering on obsession, so when he got out of bed he ignored the mirror and began to pace. Normally the mistress would give him a task first thing in the morning. Sometimes she had him prowl the forest to keep away any unwanted visitors. She hadn't asked that of him lately, though. The tasks she had been giving him for the past few weeks didn't require him to even leave the garden. She asked for the strangest things. He had left an orange flower in a bowl of soapy water at the bottom of the stairs leading to the basement one day. The following day, the water and flower were gone. Sometimes she just wanted to hear him speak, so he would tell her stories. He made sure they were long, descriptive ones so she wouldn't stop and ask questions. Her voice always made him shudder.

As he stood there, he began to realize that she wasn't coming. He hadn't felt her in him since she had given him permission to let Ellie stay as a guest. "Perhaps she has slept late," the beast said aloud. But she never slept late. Ever since she had come and taken control of everything, she had been up at seven and expected him to be up at that time as well. It was no trouble for the beast. He was used to waking up at earlier times. It was the waking up to the strange voice in his head that he didn't like.

The beast sighed and sat back down on his bed. He knew why the mistress had nothing for him to do. All she wanted was all ready available to her; all she had to do was wait. He cursed when he realized this and fell back onto the bed, thinking of the conversation he had with Oliver that morning.

"I'm sorry," Oliver had started once he found the beast wandering the halls. "Silas and I left the garden later than we usually did, but that still gave the lady time to come out and explore."

"What happened?" the beast had snarled, fearing the worst.

"She tried to touch the roses. Silas told me he had seen her from a window on the second floor. He wanted to stop her… but you know him. He was terrified."

"And where were you when thisss happened?"

"I was in the kitchen, sir. The cooks were up and I wanted them to know that they would be expected to cook for Lady Ellie."

"Don't call her that. I don't believe ssshe likesss that name…" He paused, his scaly forehead crinkling a little in a frown. "But what happened to her?" he asked, remembering why exactly he was talking to Oliver.

"Silas wasn't sure. He said she was stiff for a long time. But then she started to shake and wobble and then she fell down. I came and saw what happened just as she was getting up and then I raced here to tell you. Silas is following the lady to make sure she is all right."

The beast nodded. "I want you to keep an eye on her when ever sshe issss wandering the groundsss." He looked out the window and the corners of his thin lips came up in a bittersweet smile. "The sssun iss risssing. You ssshould go." Oliver had bowed and left the room, leaving the beast alone. The beast had gone back to sleep, or tried to. He was worried about the girl, no, woman. How was she faring after all of the events of last night? Did she like her rooms? Did she need anything?

It was these thoughts that drove him mad now. He wanted to see her and make sure she was all right, but at the same time he was tired of spying. It was rude and ungentlemanly. He didn't want to invade her privacy.

But, a small part of him argued, the part that might be obsessed with Ellie, if she did need anything, would she tell you? Would she ask a favor of you and tell you how she is doing? The answers were no, no and no.

His hand shook as he grabbed the handle of the mirror on his bedside table. He stared into the glass, refusing to cringe at his own reflection. He thought of Ellie, picturing her sitting on her couch crying, standing in her kitchen making herself dinner. Only once had he seen her look happy, or at least close to happy, and that was when she had received the letter. She had looked hopeful, her face glowing and smiling. She had looked cute and adorable in that instant when she thought it was her father who had sent the letter instead of him.

He saw her in the mirror, standing in her bedroom. She was wearing the skirt and shirt a maid had left for her. He believed the shirt fit her. It was bold and spunky. Wearing it, she reminded him of a fairy. But the skirt was atrocious. The woman who used to own it was also atrocious. He wanted to burn the skirt and just make something that would go nicely with the shirt, but he couldn't sew and he couldn't think of anything that would go with the shirt. It would have been much better as a dress.

She didn't seem to like the skirt either. She kept fidgeting and adjusting it so the poodle was showing and then hiding behind folds of fabric. She looked much better now that she was clean. Before today, he wasn't sure when her last bath had been. She looked a little confused and when she wasn't glaring at the skirt she would look up at the ceiling, her eyes a little glassy as she thought. "What are you thinking about?" he asked the mirror. There was no answer. He sighed as he stared at the mirror. At least her new ponderings weren't making her cry. He didn't think he could stand it if he saw her cry again.

There was a knock at the door, making the beast jump and the image in the mirror melt away. He put the mirror down on the bedside table and stared at the door. No one had ever come up to his room before. But, then again, they had never had a guest who slept in a room instead of a cell before either.

"Yessss?" he called, cursing his thin, forked tongue. It would come out of his mouth when he spoke sometimes and he hated that.

"Sir," the voice of one of the chefs called. "Oliver told us that a young lady is staying with us. Is that true?"

"Yesss, it isss."

"Oh." The man behind the attic door said, sounding confused. He had been hoping that Oliver had been playing a trick on him. "Well… what do I make for her?"

"The sssame thing you make for me," the beast said. He stood in front of a tall, wide mirror, putting on his deep blue coat over the off white shirt he wore. He always had trouble buttoning the coats, but today he tried to get them all through the little holes without tearing anything. When he was done and could still hear the breathing of the cook behind the door, he sighed and said, "Pancakessss, Michael. Pancakessss. With eggsss and extra bacon."

The cook didn't say anything. He just turned, clomping and stomping down the stairs. The beast was still looking at himself in the mirror. He tried to stand up straighter, though he didn't need to be any taller, and he tried to straighten his arms. But most of all, he tried to will away this monster so the real him could be standing in front of the mirror instead of a lizard.

* * *

A/N- I'm sorry for the long wait and I'm also sorry about this chapter. I'm not sure how I feel about it. Not a whole lot happened. There're just more questions and no answers. I tend to do that. I'm sorry. But, I promise that by the end of the story everything will make sense. 

I had planned on adding more interaction between Elliot and the beast in this chapter, but by the time that point came the chapter was already kind of long and it would have been much, much longer if I did have their interaction. Once I start writing it, I wouldn't have been able to stop.

Anyway, thanks for all the reviews! They're great, and I love to read them! The next chapter should be up soon.


	6. The Angry Dawson

Disclaimer: I don't own Beauty and the Beast.

Chapter Six

The beast had finished dressing and only one buttonhole was torn. It was a small rip and he hoped Ellie wouldn't notice. He smoothed out the doublet and tugged at the waistcoat poking out at his neck. He wore no shoes, none would fit, but the pants he wore were in better shape than his other pair. If he had a few less scales and a little bit more hair on his head, he thought he might be able to look partially decent.

He walked down the stairs of the attic and paced the hall of the second floor. He stopped at the banister at the end of the hall and looked down into the foyer on the first story. The rose statue glittered in the sunlight coming from the dining room windows and he could hear the cooks clomping and swearing as they cooked breakfast. He grinned and walked to the right, heading towards the stairs.

The woman hadn't come to speak to him. He couldn't feel her in him, but he knew she hadn't gone. She was watching everything, and if something happened that she didn't approve of, he was sure she would come back and take charge when she felt things got too out of hand.

He sighed once he reached the bottom of the stairs and tapped the railing with his claws. He looked down the hallway, thinking of Ellie once again. He knew she was still angry with him. Who wouldn't be? But he had to try and get her to understand that he wasn't a cruel, cold-hearted lizard. But how could he make her forgive him for locking her father up, then kicking him up and keeping her here? "Ssshe'll alwaysss hate me," he said, his eyes sad.

"Breakfast is ready!" Michael called from the kitchen. The beast bit his lip, his teeth small and sharp. Then he walked down the hall towards Ellie's room.

* * *

Eric Dawson wasn't a happy man. It was Friday and he hadn't seen Elliot Miller all week. She wasn't answering her phone and no one had heard from her.

"Maybe I'm asking the wrong people," he said to James. They had gone to a small café not far from campus, ignoring the fact that they had classes they should be in. "Who should I ask?"

James frowned. He wanted Eric to be happy, even though he thought Elliot was insane. But he knew Eric wouldn't like the truth. "Eric, you're the closest thing to a friend she has and you're… well, you're her stalker."

Eric punched James' shoulder with a dark scowl on his face. "I am not her stalker!"

James snorted and when Eric turned his back he rubbed his sore arm. "Why don't you go out with her sister? I heard she was a model."

"I don't want a model, James! I just want Elliot! Just her and no one else!"

"Wait…" James said, looking completely perplexed. "You don't love her, do you?" For a moment, Eric didn't say anything and James' face paled. "Please tell me you don't!"

"Shut up, James!" He put his elbow on the table and rested his chin on his hand as he thought. "Maybe she left town. That would be typical of her to wake up one day and decide to leave just for the heck of it." His tone wasn't rude. In fact, he found it charming that Elliot could be so random sometimes. "Her father might still be in town. Do you know where he lives? Or what he does for a living?" James shook his head. "You're no use."

A young woman slid into the seat next to Eric and wrapped her arm around his shoulders. He looked down at her as if disgusted, though James thought she looked nice enough. "Think too much and you'll hurt that pretty head of yours," she said to Eric, smiling up at him.

"Go away…" Eric said. He stared down at the girl, trying to remember her name. She had too much make up on and her hair was bleached. She looked like half the women on campus.

"It's Mandy, silly! We have science together."

"Right. Now leave us!"

She stuck out her lower lip in a pout. "Don't be like that, Eric. It was only a week ago when you were flirting with me and asking me ou-"

"Do you know an Elliot Miller?" Eric said, cutting her off. _'Maybe she _can_ be of use,'_ he thought.

Mandy looked stunned. "I don't believe so. Who is he?"

From the other side of the table James laughed. "_She_ is the most beautiful girl I've ever seen," Eric snarled. Mandy scooted away from him, removing her arm from his shoulders.

"Elliot Miller…" She frowned, deep in thought, but her eyes were empty as always. "Oh! I know! She's in my math class!"

"Do you know where she is?" Eric was getting tired of her high-pitched voice. The sooner he got what he needed from her, the smaller his headache would be when she left.

"Nope! But why would you want to hang out with her? She has a boy's name and she even looks like a boy." She laughed and James would have joined in if Eric hadn't looked so furious.

"You're useless as well!" Her pushed her away and she fell to the ground, staring up at him with her wide, empty eyes. "Get out of the way you stupid girl!" She shot up and ran out of the café, which had fallen silent after Eric's outburst. He growled low in his throat and grabbed James' collar, dragging him out of the café. "We're going to find her father and he'll tell us where Elliot is!"

* * *

Elliot wasn't sure what to do after the bath. She had searched the room and found more strange clothes in the wardrobe and stockings with black slippers in the chest. The slippers were too big and smelled musty, but it was better than being barefoot. She had paced the length of her room, getting used to her strange outfit, for the better part of an hour when her stomach growled. She paused and put her hands on her stomach. The only thing she had yesterday were airplane peanuts. She stood there for a moment, her hands still on her growling stomach. She wasn't really thinking about her hunger, though. Once again, her thoughts turned to the voices she had heard in the hall.

There was a soft, almost hesitant knock at the door. Elliot jumped when she heard it and went to answer it. She wished she hadn't. The beast was standing outside, his head down, staring at his clawed feet. Anger welled up in her once again. She remembered watching him drag her father away and seeing him look down at her with anger and hatred in his eyes. "Where is my father?" Her voice was low and tense, her eyes dark slits.

"He…" the beast paused, his lips pursing in thought. "He isss not here." He fidgeted a little, tugging on his deep blue coat. The buttons were bright silver, as was the stitching. His pants were black and the shirt under his coat was a creamy color. One of the buttonholes was torn. As she stared at it, he cleared his throat and put one of his clawed, scaly hands over the button.

She turned her angry eyes up to him and repeated her question. "Where is he?"

The beast was completely flustered now. He shifted from one foot to the other and kept lifting the arm that wasn't hiding the button to scratch his neck. "I…" He cleared his throat again while Elliot's face grew red with anger.

"You don't know?" she screamed. He flinched back and continued to step back when Elliot approached him. "You threw an old, terrified man out of your house and didn't even bother to give him an escort or help at all?" By now, the beast was pressed up against the wall and Elliot was standing right in front of him, raising herself on her toes and poking him in the chest with her finger. "He could be dead by now!"

The beast stared down at her for a long time, his eyes sad. Elliot stared back, not really seeing the look in his eyes or the scales. All she could see was her anger, taking the shape of red fog.

"Breakfassst isss ready," the beast said slowly. "You go eat and I will sssee if your father isss all right." He reached out a clawed hand and put it on her shoulder to direct her down the hall, but she jerked back and ran down the hall. She stopped running when she was in the foyer and looked around. She didn't want to eat, even though her stomach was growling. She wanted to get out and to find her father. She wanted to make sure he was safe. She tried to open the front door, but it was locked.

The dining room doors were open and she could see plates of steaming food covering the table. She turned away from the door leading to the dining room and noticed another set of double doors that she hadn't seen before. She went towards them and tugged on the handles, but the doors were locked. Hearing claws tapping the wood floor, she turned and saw the beast coming out of the hall and up the stairs. He paused, glancing at Ellie. "The food will get cold," he said, then raced upstairs. She listened to his footsteps and didn't relax until everything was silent once again. She stared at the doors in front of her then turned and walked to the dining room. She was sure there was a way to leave, but she couldn't concentrate when she was so angry and hungry. She would explore the house later to try and find a different way out of the house.

The round table was large, and a cream colored tablecloth covered the glass. Plates were stacked high with French toast, pancakes and waffles and there were bowls of scrambled eggs, sausage and bacon. There was another plate covered in muffins, toast and other pastries and in the middle of the table were large jugs of milk and smaller jugs of syrup. By the syrup was a large bowl filled with bananas, oranges, apples and pears. With a sigh, she sat down and began to pile food onto her plate, remembering how hungry she was.

* * *

The mirror did show him her father. He looked worse for wear since the last time the beast saw him, but at least he was in one piece and in a building. Or, at least the beast thought he was in a building. Roger's surroundings were blurry, but he could make out a man dressed in blue pacing in front of Roger. Every now and then Roger would shake his head and say something while tears fell from his eyes. The beast shuddered as he turned the mirror over and placed it on his bed.

"I have dessstroyed thisss family…"

Because of him a father was lost and crying somewhere far from his sad, lonely daughter. Because of him, Roger might be a bit mad. He doubted either of them would be the same when everything was over. Assuming things turned out well, of course. But for the beast hardly anything turned out well.

"What have I done?"

There was a scurrying sound and he looked down to see a mouse at his feet. He hissed at it, showing his fangs, but the mouse only let out a high string of giggles.

"Don't try and scare me," the mouse said. "It didn't work when all of this happened. What's gotten into your head that makes you think it will work now?"

The beast sighed, stood up and stepped over the little gray mouse. "Don't beat yourself up so much," the mouse called after the beast. "It isn't your fault she's here."

"Yesss it iss!" The beast snarled and hit the door to the attic the palm of his hand. His claws were embedded into the wood and splinters were scattered on the floor when he yanked his arm back. "Thiss woman sssuferss becaussse I am too weak to ssstop it! Sshe is asss trapped asss I am becaussse I wass terrified! If I hadn't been blind and had sseen what wass sstanding in front of me all thosse yearss ago then sshe would be ssafe."

"And you would be dead, sir. As would I, and the rest of us here," the mouse squeaked.

"We don't belong here, Carol. We ssshould have died a very long time ago." He let out a quiet, hiss like sigh and turned to the window. He pushed back the thick curtains, letting the light wash over the room. His scales shone a deep blue and his eyes were very dark. "I desserve to be dead."

The mouse let out a squeak of terror and scurried over to the beast. She climbed the leg of a table next to the window and then sat up on the windowsill. "Don't you ever say that again! I mean it! You are a wonderful man. Let Ellie see you for who you are instead of the skin you were put in."

The beast snorted. "A wonderful man, Carol? I am not a man anymore. I'm a monss-"

"Don't you dare say that word! It's a cruel, awful word. You may not have the body of a man, but you have everything else that a man should have. You are smart and caring and you have such passion in you. The men of this time are more monstrous than you would ever be, no matter what you looked like." The beast was still looking out the window, his eyes full of sadness. The mouse looked down at her little paws and sighed, her whiskers twitching. "You see the good in everyone except yourself." Still, the beast didn't look towards her or move. There was nothing Carol could say that would make him feel better. The mouse had enough experience with him to know when she was defeated. "A lovely young woman is downstairs eating breakfast all by herself. I suggest you go down there and prove to her that you aren't a monster."

The beast's eyes moved to the mouse and then he nodded slowly, turned and walked to the door. Carol watched him until he had opened the door and was walking down the stairs.

The beast thought over Carol's kind words as he walked down the hall on the second story. He knew there was some truth in what she said, but sometimes it was hard for him to see past the scales. If he couldn't do it, then how would Ellie?

He walked as slow as his long legs would take him down the last flight of stairs and into the dining room. Ellie was sitting at the large table finishing off her pancakes. She still had a waffle, two slices of French toast, a large pile of eggs and at least five pieces of bacon on her plate, but it didn't look like she planned on slowing down.

"Hungry?" he asked her as he sat down across from her. She looked up from her breakfast long enough to send him a cold glare then went back to eating. He looked down at his plate, regret in his eyes. "I don't mean to teassse…"

To his surprise, Ellie slammed her silverware down and exclaimed, "What do you want?" The beast looked startled, dropping the pear he had taken from the bowl. "Why am I here?"

The beast used his claw to make little marks in the pear, looking down at the fruit. The juice dripped onto his plate and he could feel Ellie's eyes on him. "You'll ssspeak of thisss housse and of what you ssssaw if I let you leave."

She shook her head violently, her eyes watering up. "No! I won't!" The beast looked up, hearing the tremor in her voice, but she was staring at the table now, her short hair shielding her eyes. "Who would believe me anyway?"

_'Nobody,'_ the beast wanted to say. They would think Ellie was mental and would lock her up if she went around saying a giant reptilian man lived in the House of Rose. "I can't let you go…"

"Why not? I'm no use to you."

_'Yes, you are…'_ His claw pressed too hard into the pear and some juice flew out, landing on his face. He grabbed the napkin beside his plate and wiped the juice off, trying to find words to say. He had so much to say, but even if the woman in his head would let him say it all, he wouldn't have been able to find any words to describe everything. So he just sat there staring at Ellie, his eyes sad and desperate.

But Elliot didn't see the expression on his face when she looked back up. All she saw was a hideous monster and the beast knew it. He could see the disgust on her face. "Stop staring at me. It's creepy." She looked back to her plate and continued to eat at a slower pace than earlier. The beast sighed, looking down at the pear. His appetite was gone.

He could hear the clattering of her fork on the plate as she ate her French toast. She didn't say anything and neither did he. His heart was beating hard and loud. It was the only sound that was coming from his end of the table. He lifted the pear to take a bite when Ellie gave a yelp that startled him into dropping the pear back onto the plate.

"What isss wrong?"

But Ellie was smiling. Her face was sweet and her eyes sparkled. How he wished she were looking at him at that moment. But she was looking down at the large sheepdog that had come into the dining room. His head was resting on her lap and his tail was wagging, thumping the floor.

"Hello there," Ellie said. Her voice was calm and soothing when she talked to the dog. It wasn't at all cold or harsh. "I was wondering where you went off to." She scratched his ears. The thumping came faster and he opened his mouth a little, panting happily. Ellie was still grinning as she took a piece of bacon and gave it to the dog. She turned back to her own food as the dog ate, treating her lap as if it were a plate.

She didn't look at him as she ate. She was pretending he didn't exist. He ate half of his pear, chewing and swallowing slowly. She had finished her French toast and was giving the dog a small piece of a blueberry muffin.

The silence grew as thick as a fog between them, and it was stifling as well. He tried not to stare at her, but sometimes he couldn't help it. But she pretended not to notice. The beast resisted the urge to fidget as he ate a pancake. He was never one for silence. It was nauseating and he felt he would drown in it. If anyone else had been sitting across the table from him then he would have started a conversation the moment he came into the room. But she intimidated him a little bit. He would be walking on very thin ice while she was here. He didn't want to push her away, and at the same time he didn't want to throw her into something she wasn't ready for. He wanted to gain her trust, but how do you do that with someone who hates and fears you?

_'You don't do it by staying silent.'_ he thought. "If I can not call you Ellie, then what ssshall I call you?" he asked, looking up from his plate.

The dog stopped panting then moved away from the table, sitting in a spot where he could see the beast and Ellie clearly. He was still panting as he looked from Ellie to the beast, his tongue hanging out of his mouth.

"Elliot," she said, glancing up from her plate. "That's what you can call me."

The beast nodded, not knowing what to do or say. A plan came to him and he was about to ask her if she wanted to see the grounds when she asked, "What's the dogs name?"

He looked to the dog. He had stopped panting and was staring at the beast. "Sssye. That issss hisss name."

"Sye?" The beast nodded. Elliot wiped her mouth on her napkin and stood up. "Come on, Sye!" She patted her leg and he ran up to her. "Let's go explore." She took some bacon from her plate and followed the dog out into the foyer. The beast stayed where he was, watching Elliot's shadow in the hall. Even when it was gone, he didn't look away. She didn't want or need him around. He sighed, ignoring the chef who had come out to clean up the table.


	7. The Grand Escape

Disclaimer: I don't own Beauty and the Beast, the movie or the original story. The characters you may meet in this story, such as Roger, Ellie, Eric, Oliver, Silas and so on, are mine! Mine, mine! Steal them and perish! _Clears throat nervously._ Anyway, on with the story.

Chapter Seven

Roger still felt sick and tired. The sheriff had asked him all sorts of questions. "Why did you run away from me? Why were you standing by the side of the road in the first place? Why were you crying?" Why, why, why? Why was it always why? Roger rubbed his forehead, glad that the questioning was over. He had told the sheriff the truth; he had just taken Ellie out of the story. He had gotten lost while looking for the bed and breakfast. He had found a house, that was empty, and he stayed there for the night. In the morning, he had left and had searched for the main road. He told the sheriff that he hadn't eaten in days and his sleep had been plagued with nightmares while in the empty house.

The sheriff believed every word. He blamed Roger's hysterical behavior on lack of food and sleep. Roger was given a hot chicken sandwich before they put him on a bus that took him home.

His house was small and what little furniture he did have was covered in books, folders, papers and the occasional sock. When he wasn't at work, he would normally go see Ellie. Her house was clean and she was a better chef than he was. She would make them both dinner and then they would go for a walk in the park or go ice-skating. She did love to skate. She had been trying to teach him how to skate, but he would always stumble and fall. "I'm taking horrible care of you!" Elliot would say as she helped him stand. "Let's get home and have cocoa." But he would insist that they stay. He would sit on the bench by the rink and watch her skate if his feet hurt too much for him to skate with her.

Roger sighed, dragging his hand down his face. The bus ride had been almost as long as the plane ride had been and his was hungry again. He went to the kitchen, searching for something to eat. There was nothing but almost empty boxes of cereal in the cupboards and everything in the refrigerator was old and moldy. "Ellie's pot pie sounds good…" He groaned. Desperate to get her out of his head, he picked up the phone and tried to call Marly.

It was a relief to hear her voice. "Hi!" She had a high, cheery voice that always made him feel better. "You've reached Marly Miller's cell phone. I'm sorry I couldn't take your call, but if you leave a message I promise I'll call you back. Bye!"

Roger sighed and tried Sammy, but her cell phone must have been turned off because a few rings after making the call he was greeted with loud beeping.

He wandered around his messy living room, his thoughts going to Ellie once more. He wanted to go back to New York and take her away from the beast. But he was just a weak old man, and the beast had huge claws, sharp teeth and scales like armor. _'He would cut me to ribbons if I tried,'_ he thought, _'and then turn and do the same to Ellie.'_

There was nothing he could do. He knew this, and with a sigh he lay down in bed and didn't get up again for a very long time.

* * *

Elliot was surprised at just how big the house was. The dog, Sye, had led her down one of the hallways breaking off of the foyer. She had stuck her head into many of the doors. Some were locked and Sye didn't much care for Elliot standing there, jiggling the handle as if that alone would unlock the door. He would whine and thump his tail on the ground to get her to hurry up. She looked into her own room last. Her bed had been made, but it was what was on the bed that caught her attention. There were clothes there. They were more modern than the ones she had on, but the skirts were all a bit ruffly and lacy. The shirts had loose, sweeping sleeves and the dresses were elegant. There wasn't a single pair of pants in the pile. This disappointed her. She was always considered a tomboy and she would rather wear pants when she went to explore the grounds than a skirt. Skirts just got in the way and kept her from having some real fun.

Sye barked, making Elliot jump and turn to face him. "You scared me!" she said, a smile on her face. She turned back to the clothes. "Where did these come from?" she muttered. Sye whined and lay down on the floor as Elliot sorted through the clothes. To her embarrassment, there was underwear and bras in the pile as well. Blood flooded to her cheeks and she grabbed some clothes and went to the bathroom. She changed into the new clothes and was surprised that everything, down to the panties, fit just right. It also bothered her that someone would have examined her close enough to judge just what size she wore. The skirt was light and was a deep blue with flowers on it. She wore a cream colored, peasant style shirt. It was fitted, hugging her curves more than she was used to. "I look like a girl," she said with a small grin. She went back into her bedroom and saw the dog sniffing a pair of sandals by the dresser. "Oh, thank you Sye," she said, taking the sandals and sitting down to put them on. Sye was panting happily by the bed. He looked down at her feet then to the door, closing his mouth. "All right, we can go now." She stood up and winced. "These sandals are tight. It will take a while to break them in." She took a step, pursing her lips as the leather pinched her skin.

She heard someone snort nearby. "She best be grateful for those clothes," a familiar voice said. "It took a lot of work to find and clean them."

She let out a strangled scream and fell back on the bed. Sye began barking and wagging his tail. "What do you want!" Elliot screamed, putting her hands on her head. The voice she had heard just now was the same voice she had heard earlier. This was the one who believed she was insane.

The female voice from earlier shushed the first one. "She can hear us, remember?"

"Where are you?" Elliot said, looking around. The voices were once again too clear for them to be anywhere but the room she was in. Sye lay down with his head under the bed. There were shrieks from under the bed and scurrying.

Frowning, Elliot knelt down by the bed and lifted the blankets so she could look under it. There was nothing there. Sye glanced up at her then stood up, shook himself and went to the door. Elliot stayed where she was. She was about to crawl under the bed to search some more when Sye began to paw at the door. With a sigh, Elliot crawled out from under the bed and followed the dog back into the hall to continue their exploration.

* * *

The beast paced up and down the hall. His claws had grown too long. They cut up the floor and made the mouse sitting nearby wince when he scraped a claw down the wood. Carol put her head down and put her paws over her ears as best as she could to block out the noise. She didn't say anything as she watched the beast and he only muttered under his breath.

Another mouse came out from a small hole in the wall, right by the first stair step so it was hidden in shadow. "Ah, there you are Carol. I wasn't sure where you went after leaving the girl's room." This mouse was bigger than Carol, with a thicker, longer tail and larger ears. His fur was black and thin. He went to lie next to her and he also watched the beast. "What's wrong?" he asked in a hushed voice.

"Ellie is gone," Carol replied.

The other mouse scoffed. "Good riddance. She's mental!"

The beast suddenly whirled around to face them and pointed a claw at the black mouse. With his high, hissing voice he said, "Don't you sssay that! Elliot isss not inssane." He had such a ferocious look on his face that the black mouse yelped and hid behind Carol. Carol herself looked unfazed by the beast's outburst. She turned to look at the mouse behind her and sighed.

"Calm down. You scared poor Leo."

The beast hissed at the two of them and then continued to pace. "Where could ssshe be?" he moaned.

"Have you seen Sye anywhere?" Carol asked.

The beast shook his head. "Not sssince breakfassst. Elliot took him and I sssuposse they are exploring the house."

"They couldn't have gotten too far. Most of the doors are locked." Leo paused to think it over. "Is there any way she could have gotten into the basement?"

"Of courssse not!" the beast said, pausing in his pacing. "It isss alwaysss locked."

"When was the last time you've been down there?" Carol asked, twitching her nose in thought.

The beast sighed and gave up his pacing. He sat on the floor and leaned against the wall. The mice moved to poke their heads between the banister posts to watch him. "I haven't been down there ssssince Lila."

"How long was that?" Leo asked.

"Almost sixty years," Carol said slowly. "I had almost forgotten about Lila."

Leo nodded, wriggling his nose. He looked as if he wanted to say something but he wasn't sure how to say it. Eventually, he said, "Do you think Elliot will…"

"No!" the beast cried, standing back up. He sighed and shook his head. "No," he said again, calmer. "I won't let her hurt Elliot."

Somewhere within him, the beast felt something stir. He heard that awful laugh once again and then the thing in him was gone, asleep once more. He shuddered and the two mice fidgeted as if they knew what had just happened and didn't know what to do or say about it.

They all jumped when they heard barking. "Sye?" Leo asked, edging closer to the edge of the step and then sliding down onto the floor. "Is that him?"

The dog began to whine and howl as well. "It's coming from the back of the grounds. At least he and the lady weren't in the garden again." The beast was running down the hall before Carol finished. He turned down another hall at the very end and then burst out the door. He was in the side of the yard and couldn't see a large portion of the yard. He ran farther into the yard and came up short when he saw Elliot climbing the fence. She was using small holes and cracks in the wood as hand and foot holds. Sye was under her, barking and whining. He ran faster now, hoping to reach Elliot before she got over the other side of the fence.

Elliot looked over her shoulder and let out a cry when she saw him. She was nearly to the top of the fence. The beast's legs burned and his heart was pumping faster than it had in a very long time but he didn't slow down.

She put her hands on the top of the fence, hauled herself up and then fell to the other side with a scream just as the beast reached the fence. "Elliot!" he screamed, but there was no answer. He tried to climb the fence but he felt the familiar wall before him. It was thick and slimy and the harder he pressed against it the dizzier he got. His stomach churned, his head was throbbing and all of his muscles were sore and weak. He yanked his arm back and felt better almost instantly. Instead of trying to climb the fence, he listened. He was sure Elliot would be hurt from the fall, but he didn't know how bad it was. For all he knew she could have landed on a rock or broken her leg. She could have been knocked unconscious and could be bleeding and there was nothing he could do.

There was a moan from the other side of the fence and his shoulders slumped in relief. He heard shuffling and he could see a small sliver of her palm between the cracks of the fence as she leaned on it. "Elliot! You need to come back. It'sss not sssafe in the foressst."

Her hand disappeared and he could hear her moving deeper into the forest.

The dog whined and looked up at the beast. "What is in there?"

"The mistressss," he spat the word, "had put thingsss into the foresst not long after ssshe arrived," the beast spoke quickly while trying to reach the part of his mind where the mistress was. "Ssshe did it to keep the ladiessss in here. Do you remember Jill? Ssshe ran into the foresst and when ssshe wasss found, ssshe… ssshe had lossst her witsss."

He finally found the place where she was. He prodded at that part of his mind, focusing on the mistress alone and willing her to wake up. He felt her stir.

"What do you want this time?" he heard her ask. He held back his wince at hearing her voice.

'_You need to let me go,'_ he thought. He could feel her tense._ 'Elliot has left. You know it will be a long time before you find another woman like her. She is one of a kind. It may be another seventy years before another girl comes along and she may not have the same fire, the same spirit that Elliot possesses.'_

"Are you getting attached, my pet?" he heard in his mind. She laughed. "Are you sure you don't want to wait for night to fall?"

'_It may be too late by then! We've already wasted so much time.'_

"Very well. You may go, but I will bring you back if you try to leave me." Then she was gone and the beast leaned against the fence, breathing deeply.

"Sir?" Sye asked. The beast turned to glare at the dog and he backed up, whimpering.

"Never bring her out here again," he said before jumping up and grabbing the top of the fence. The wall was gone. He launched himself over the fence and landed on a bush. The forest before him was thick and dark. He could see shadows moving and twisting in there. He shook his head, reminding himself that none of it was real. The forest was a forest and nothing more. The demons that were in there were merely illusions that the witch had created to scare people. He hissed quietly, letting his tongue come out of his mouth. He could "smell" Elliot. He walked briskly into the forest, following the scent.

* * *

Elliot had followed Sye down the hall. There was a music room, with a dusty piano, cello, trumpets and violins. At the end of that room was a thick, heavy curtain and behind it was a large ballroom. That was the only interesting thing she could find. She was about to go back to the foyer and explore upstairs when she noticed Sye turning down another hall. She followed him and only saw one door, at the very end of the hall. She opened it when she reached it and Sye ran outside. She followed him and looked around the yard appreciatively. It was very large and with a little work she was sure it could look wonderful. She shook her head. "What am I thinking? Why would I want to fix up this yard?" She sighed and sat on the swinging bench. "I suppose I would need something to occupy myself with." She looked around, noticing that Sye was nowhere to be found. She stood up and went to the side of the house and saw him sniffing around. She left him and walked across the yard to the fence. There were no horizontal planks to hold the fence together. They must be on the other side of the fence. She found herself examining the fence closer. She could see sizable chips and holds in the old fence. She looked around. Sye was still by the side of the house. She bit her bottom lip and looked up at the tall fence. She could just walk along the fence until she hit the road. It was the only way she could see her father. She missed him so much. It felt as if there was a hole in her heart because they weren't together.

She began to climb the fence. It was hard to keep a grip on the wood, and even harder to climb because of her skirt. She was about two feet off the ground when she heard Sye barking. She looked down. There he was, trying to jump up at her. "Be quiet! I have to see my father." But he wouldn't be quiet. If anything he barked louder. She had never heard a dog so loud! She began to climb again, going faster. Her foot slipped and she cried out, scrambling for the hole her foot had been in. She was almost to the top when she looked behind her again. She cried out in horror at seeing the beast running towards her. His scales shone in the sunlight and there was such anger in his eyes. But there was something else. He was too far away, though, and she couldn't identify it. She looked back to the fence and climbed. Her arms shook, but she managed grab the top of the fence and pull herself up. She sighed in relief and then began to tip forward. Before she realized what was happening, she was falling. She screamed as she fell. Thankfully, she landed on her back on a bush. The wind was still knocked out of her and she stared up at the sky. Everything was spinning. She heard the beast scream her name. She let out a moan and stood up. She had to lean on the fence so she wouldn't fall over.

"Elliot! You need to come back. It'sss not sssafe in the foressst." It was the beast. She stepped away from the fence, glaring at it. She was free now! She wouldn't let that monster trick her into going back. She had to see her father. But now she couldn't just walk along the fence. Soon, she was sure he would come after her. She needed to hide. She walked into the forest, still unsteady from her fall. She pushed branches aside and stepped over bushes and logs. When she looked over her shoulder, she couldn't see the fence at all. She faced forward and continued on.

The forest was dark and the trees were unlike any she had ever seen. The limbs looked slimy and they grew at odd angles, often twisting and tangling themselves. The ground was soft, her feet kept sinking down into it and she would have to pull it out, making a squelching sound as she did so. The farther she went, the darker the forest grew. She could see shadows that were not hers moving and twisting. She could never find the source of these shadows and a lump grew in her throat. She pressed on, trying to ignore the shadows. But when a dark figure ran past her she screamed and stumbled back. "Who's there?" Another figure stepped out from behind a tree, but this one she recognized. She gasped, her eyes widening. "Daddy?" The man smiled and opened his arms out to her.

"Ellie!" he called. "Let's go home."

Elliot took a step forward. Her father had come back for her! He was safe! His eyes were shining and he had a large smile on his face. She ran into his arms and held him tightly. Tears of joy seeped into his shirt. She knew that she would be safe now. She was in her father's arms where nothing could go wrong. He stroked her back, but his hand wasn't warm. She pulled back as she said, "You're so cold." She choked on a scream when she saw his face. It looked as if his skin was melting and under it was a black, metallic skull with empty eyes and a cruel, fanged smile. His hand on her back changed. The fingers were longer and the nails grew long and sharp, scratching her shirt and back. "Let me go!" She struggled against the thing, but it didn't let her go. It pulled her closer and she began to fall into it. She went _through_ the thing that had been holding her and fell to the ground. She was shaking and sobbing, though she could feel something in her. It put images of her father lying beaten in the road and her sisters dead. There was laughter and when she opened her eyes everything was burning. The smoke was thick and acrid, making her cough. The presence she had felt in her was gone, but the laughter remained.

Coughing and sobbing, she crawled away from the fire that licked at her feet. She was surrounded. "Someone help!" she screamed. "Daddy!" She looked around and saw a small opening in the ring of fire around her. She stood and ran to it. She jumped through before the ring could close and found herself in a meadow. She kept running, running from the fire and the demon that had caught her.

She cried out when she tripped over something. "Woah!" someone drawled. "What's this here?"

Elliot looked up and saw that three men were sitting in the middle of the meadow. She had tripped over a man with red brown dreads. There was a scar on his cheek and his eyes were a dark gray. They were smoking and passing a bottle of brandy around. "We have to get out of here!" she said. "The fire's going to spread, we have to leave!" She looked at all of them and wondered if they were even real. What if they were disguised like the thing she had thought her father was.

The youngest of the three looked around with a frown on his face then turned to look at Elliot. "What fire?" he asked. He leaned on his elbow and took a long drag from his cigarette. He had only baggy cargo pants on and his skin was a dark brown. The others wore shirts, but she could see that they were just as tan as the other man. She looked away from the men and back to where the fire had been. But it was gone. The trees were in one piece and the smoke was gone.

"There… there was a fire there, I swear there was!"

The one who currently held the brandy, a man with long, greasy black hair, laughed. "This place is trippy even without the drugs." He drank some brandy then passed it to the man with no shirt.

"Drugs?" Elliot asked. Taking a closer look at them, she noticed that their eyes were glassy and they weren't smoking cigarettes at all. She wasn't sure what it was, but she was sure that it had more than nicotine in it. She groaned and backed away from them. "Do any of you know how to get to the road?" she asked.

"Sure," the one she had tripped over said. "But why leave?" He began to inch closer to her and Elliot stood up quickly, seeing the look in his eye. Eric had looked at her like that many times. Knowing that they wouldn't help, she turned and ran. The meadow was in the middle of the forest, so she had no choice but to go back in there. She ran faster, tugging on any branches that snagged on her clothes. The shadows were worse now. They took shape and crowded around her. They hung from the branches and laughed at her as she passed under them. One took shape as her mother and grabbed her arm.

"You could have saved me, Ellie! I didn't have to die."

Elliot stared at the woman. She was just as beautiful as she remembered her to be. She looked like she had before the death, with a sparkle in her eyes that spoke of secrets, surprises and so much wisdom. Her freckled face was flushed and her smile was wide. The grip on Elliot's arm tightened. She was so cold….

"You're not real!" She pulled back and stumbled farther into the forest. She could hear voices calling after her, telling her to wait. "No!" She ran on and stopped when she reached another small field. She could still feel the cold grip on her arm. She was so dizzy and weary. She fell to her knees and vomited. When she was done, she rolled onto her back and stared up at the sky. It was bright and sunny outside of the forest.

Something ran into the meadow. "There she is!" She looked up and saw the men from the meadow. "I told you she was real!" It was the man with dreadlocks who spoke. Elliot tried to scramble away but he was quicker, despite the drugs he had been taking. He pinned her down, his knees on either side of her thighs and his hands grabbing her arms. She struggled against him and he let go of one of her arms, his hand going lower. With her free hand she punched him in the nose and he fell back. She stood and was running back the way she had come when something ran into the field.

The beast had a wild, fearful look in his eyes, but he seemed to relax when he saw her. The men stared at him with looks of horror on their faces, but the beast only had eyes for Elliot. When the beast finally noticed the men he hissed and ran past Elliot. The men ran off screaming and Elliot tried to run into the forest but more shadowy figures were around her. They taunted her and changed shapes to resemble members of her family, old friends and classmates of hers. One lunged forward, diving towards her head. It went inside her and she fell back, screaming. The images were back, but instead it was her lying beaten in the street. She was dead and was nothing more than a spirit wandering the world. She was so cold, so empty. But then there was more fire and she wasn't dead. She was alive and burning. She screamed as the fire seared her skin. She could smell burning hair.

Something picked her up and held her close. "None of it isss real!" a voice hissed. She didn't hear it, though. Her body was shaking as the demon in her made all of her worst nightmares come true.

* * *

The beast climbed the fence with Elliot over his shoulder. She had passed out while he was running through the forest. When he was back in his yard he cradled Elliot in his arms and ran to the house. _'Get rid of it!'_ he screamed in his mind, making the witch stir. _'There is something in her! If you don't get rid of it then she will never be the same again. She will be insane and useless to you.'_

"Aren't you the one who said none of it was real?" the voice mocked.

'_It is real to her. I don't know what you put in that forest, but one of them is hurting her. Get rid of it!'_

He had reached her bedroom. He threw open the door and put Elliot down on the bed. _'Get rid of it,'_ he thought again. Elliot's face was pained and pale. He stroked one of her cheeks with the back of his hand. In a few moments, she relaxed. The fear and pain was gone and the beast relaxed as well. _'What was in her?'_

"It was just an illusion. She is more open-minded and free spirited. The illusions become real to people like her because she believe that they truly are real. That is why she was hurt, and that is also why we had to get rid of Jill. It was too late for me to help her."

'_But you had made the illusion, you could have gotten rid of the one in Jill.'_

"I created something that, in the right hands, could have a life of its own. You brought this girl back before any real damage could be done. The illusion hadn't grown to occupy her whole mind. There was still a part of her holding onto reality. But Jill was lost completely."

The beast nodded and looked down at Elliot. She could have been lost like Jill. The men from the forest could have done horrible things to her….

He sighed. The witch was sleeping again. He looked back to Elliot and, after a moment's hesitation, reached out a hand put it over hers. "You're sssafe now… Ellie."

* * *

AN- Thanks for all the reviews, guys! I hope you like this chapter and I would greatly appreciate it if you told me about the errors you find. That way I can go back and fix things up. I'm sorry for such the long wait. School's almost over so I should have some more time on my hands, hopefully. 


	8. The Dancer

Disclaimer: I don't own Beauty and the Beast.

Chapter Eight

Elliot tossed and turned in bed. The demon in her was gone, but it had made an impression on her. The nightmares it had given her stayed. There was fire, always fire, and so much death. And then there was the blame. Her mother would always blame Elliot for her death, as would her sisters. Her father would blame her for the depression he was now in. "I would have been happy there, knowing you were safe. But you, you selfish brat, had to take my place!" She cried out and gripped the blankets under her as the nightmares continued.

The beast could only stand by and watch. He had put a cool rag on her forehead, but she tossed so much that there was no point in trying to keep it there. A bag of calming herbs were placed under her pillow, he had opened the window to let in the cool breeze and he was constantly by her side. He cursed the witch for making those illusions in the first place. He cursed her for bringing Ellie here. He cursed her for cursing him.

"How is she?" a soft voice asked. Carol had just come in from the hole under Ellie's bed and was now climbing the end table. "Oh, the poor dear. She's still dreaming, is she?"

The beast nodded, never letting his gaze wander from Ellie's face. "Ssshe isss ssstrong," he said, patting the girl's hand. "That isss one of the reassonss the witch wantsss her."

Carol looked around nervously when the beast referred to the woman who had cursed them as a witch. "You know she don't like to be called that," she whispered.

"Doesss it matter now? Ssshe iss sssleeping. And it isss what ssshe truly isss."

"Look! I think the lady is waking!"

Elliot had stopped moving, but her eyes were squinted. There was something hard and warm on her hand and there was a strange, spicy smell in the air. Where was she? What had happened? She groaned as she brought her hands up to rub her eyes.

The beast took his hand away from the bed and stood up from the chair he had put by the bedside, moving away from her. Would she be angry with him for bringing her back to his house? If only he could make her understand that he didn't have a choice in the matter….

The beast and the mouse were both silent as they watched Elliot. She was still and too stiff for her to be asleep again.

She was remembering her nightmares. She remembered the fence, the forest, her father and mother. But they weren't real. Her mother was dead and her father…. She didn't even know where he was. "Oh God…" she breathed as she remembered just how terrified she was. She couldn't stop the tears from flowing so she rolled over onto her stomach, pressing her face against the pillow to muffle her sobs. It had been so easy to believe that that thing had been her father. It had been easy to imagine herself burning to death. It had been too easy to believe that all of it was real. But she felt as if it was still haunting her. She could feel their cold grips on her, she could feel the demon inside her and she could hear their taunts and laughs as she suffered. What kind of horrible place was this? She sobbed, hugging the pillow tightly. She wanted to go home. She was safe there, she understood everything there. Here… there were monsters and demons lurking in the shadows.

The beast rushed back to the chair and sat down when he heard her crying. No, no, no. She couldn't be crying! He reached out to her, but then brought his hand back. He wanted her to be happy, he wanted to comfort her. But she would only recoil from his touch.

Carol wasn't nearly as uncertain as he was. "Oh!" she cried, then made her way to the bed. "Oh, Dearie, don't cry. Don't be sad." She moved toward the pillow and patted one of Elliot's fingers that had wrapped around the pillow. "No one will hurt you here."

Elliot recognized the voice, but she didn't look up or acknowledge that there was someone, or something, beside her. She continued to sob into the pillow. _'Why did I have to run away?' _she thought, biting down on her lip. She would be fine if she had stayed. _'But I had to know. I had to know if it was possible. I had to know if there was someplace worse than this house. And there is! There is, there is…'_

"Is the Loony alright?" Leo asked as came out from under the bed. He climbed up onto the bed and jumped when he saw the beast sitting on the other side of the bed. "Oh! He's here… I mean…. Is the lady doing better?"

"Look at her, Leo," Carol said with sadness in her voice. "She is very upset."

Elliot wiped her eyes and then looked to the side. She saw the beast sitting by the side of the bed. She had expected him to be angry with her for leaving, but he only looked sad and relieved. She looked to the other side and shrieked when she saw two mice just inches from her face. The black one winced and the gray one stepped back.

"Oh dear… I'm sorry if we startled you, Lady. Are you feeling all right? Do you need some tea?"

Elliot stared at them, her jaw dropped and her eyes were wide and puffy from crying. The little gray mouse just asked her if she needed some tea.

The black mouse rubbed at his ear. "She's a loud one!"

Elliot shifted her gaze to the black mouse. These were the two voices she had heard in the hall and then under her bed earlier that day. "You think I'm crazy," she muttered, still staring at the black mouse.

The mouse seemed to stand up straighter. "Yes I do," he glanced at the beast who was glaring at him and then said, "Well, I did! Yes, I _used_ to think you were insane."

"Oh, ignore Leo, Dearie."

She looked from one mouse to the other and then pressed her face into the pillow again. But she wasn't crying. She was _laughing_.

"Talking mice!" she said as she laughed. "Of course!"

The beast heard the hysterical tone in her voice. "Leo, Carol, pleasssse go to Michael and assssk him to make ssssome tea and ssssoup for Ellie… Elliot." He looked away from Elliot. He had called her by her nickname again. But she didn't seem to hear him. She was still laughing into her pillow. The two mice climbed down from the bed and then disappeared under it. He turned his attention back to Elliot and slowly stretched out his crooked arm and patted her back. "Sssssh. Elliot, Elliot… You're ssssafe now."

Elliot stopped crying and laughing and then moved away so he could not reach her. "What kind of crazy place is this? There's a monster," the beast cringed at the word, "demons, and talking mice! It wouldn't be complete with those mice." Her shoulder shook as she tried to suppress another sob.

"Elliot… you'll be alright. I won't let anything hurt you here."

She wanted to believe those words. She wanted to believe that she was safe in this house. She looked over at the beast. He looked so tired and sad. If she ignored the claws, the scales and the fangs, then it would be easier for her to believe him. But she couldn't ignore those things. And a part of her couldn't help but remember that it was him who wrote her that letter, him who threw her father out the door. She remembered the flash of anger she had seen in him when she had first asked him what he was. "As you said, miss. I am a monster." Those were his words, only he had hissed them. There was so much anger in him. _'But I had ignored him at breakfast and when he saw me in the field after running away, he didn't look angry at all. He just always looks… sad and hopeful.'_

She wasn't sure if she should believe him. But he hadn't hurt her. Nothing in this house had. She rolled onto her back and sat up, leaning against the wall behind her. She glanced up at him nervously then down at her lap. He didn't look so sad anymore, but he looked weary. _'He ran after me. Had the demons affected him the same way they had affected me?' _It made her feel guilty, so she said and quiet voice, "I'm sorry I ran away." She didn't really mean it. She was sorry that he was so tired and sad because of her, but she knew that if she hadn't tried to run off then she would always wonder and that curiosity would haunt her.

If he could smile, he would have. "I'm ssssorry you felt asss if you had to," he said.

She frowned and looked over at him. Had he expected that she would be fine with the fact she was a prisoner? He probably would have hoped she would be fine, but not expected it. But he had been nice to her while she was here. _'Why? Why would he be so nice to me?'_

'_If he was really nice to you, he would have let you go with your father.'_

She sighed. Perhaps that was true. Maybe he was only being nice to her so she wouldn't stay. Maybe he had to fight with himself to keep from screaming at her, to keep from hitting her in frustration. She would have understood if he was frustrated with her, especially at breakfast. _'He's a selfish monster, Ellie! Don't think he's being nice to you, don't think he's anything but a monster and you'll be fine.'_

She lay down, rubbing her forehead. She was still shaken from what had happened and now she had a headache. There was so much she wanted to know, but it had to wait. She wanted to know more about the demons that were in the forest, but speaking of them would only make her frightened again. She was ashamed to admit it, but she was terrified of them. She would do anything, even stay with this beast forever, if it meant she would never have to see those demons again.

The door opened, making Elliot jump. It wasn't a demon that clip-clopped into her room. Her jaw dropped as she stared at it. The man wasn't really a man at all. His upper body resembled a man's, only it was a strange, cinnamon color and he had hard, sharp facial features. His hair was a shade darker than his skin and was long and thick. Her eyes were narrow and dark, and his ears were long and pointed. Pointed ears! But his ears weren't the strangest things about him. From the waist down, he had the body of a horse. The legs were long and powerful and she could see the muscles rippling when he moved. He was holding a tray with a bowl and a large mug on it. When he noticed that Elliot was gaping at him he snorted and stomped a hoof. Elliot blinked and tried to look away.

"It's rude to stare," he said, handing the tray to the beast.

Blood rushed to Elliot's face. "I-I'm sorry. I don't mean to…"

But the centaur was all ready walking out of the room, flicking his tail in annoyance. Elliot continued to gape even when the door was closed.

A soft, slithery laugh brought her back to her senses. The beast was laughing at her. She turned and glared at him. He stopped laughing and cleared his throat. "Here." He handed her the tray. She carefully put the mug of tea on the bedside table and stirred her soup, watching as steam rose from the dark broth. Chunks of beef and vegetables spun slowly in the soup as she stirred it.

"I thought it was only you," she said after a long moment of silence had passed between them. "I thought you were the only… well, I didn't know if there was anyone who else lived here. And if they did, I didn't know if they would be… like you."

She continued to stir her soup. When she looked back at the beast he had a distant look in his eyes. "There are plenty of usss here. We are all…" He wanted to say cursed, but the witch wouldn't allow it. "There are no humanssss here. Michael issss clossser to being human than any of the othersss."

She nodded as if she understood everything, but the beast knew she would be asking more questions soon. _'She isn't angry,' _he thought with amazement. _'She may not completely trust me, but she doesn't hate me, either.'_ He felt better than he had in a long time. He wanted to get up and shout with joy and scream "The lady does not hate me!" But he remained seated.

Elliot blew on her soup, thinking about the centaur and the mice. Talking mice, mythical creatures and the beast all lived in this house. More, really. What other kind of creatures lived there? She sipped some of the broth and then asked, "But why? How is it possible that you exist, that the mice talk, that a centaur does all of your cooking? How is it possible?" She looked over at him with confusion on her face.

The beast looked down at his lap, clicking his claws together as he tried to come up with an answer. He couldn't say that they were all cursed, all doomed, including Elliot, because of a witch that had strolled into his life so long ago. The witch wouldn't allow it. He couldn't tell her that something was controlling him, that something was making him keep her here. He would have told her everything if he could. He would have told her that he never meant to scare her, that he was sorry she was here and unhappy. He would have told her that he would do anything to see her smile for him…

"I…" he started. Did she see how flustered he was? Did she know what he was thinking? "I can't ssssay."

She opened her mouth to say something else but there was a scratching at the door. The beast stood quickly and rushed to the door, eager to get away from her penetrating gaze. He was sure that she could read the emotions in his eyes and know where they came from, and know why he felt those things. He didn't want her to know. It was too much too soon. It would confuse her if she knew what he felt, what he thought of her. He couldn't let her in yet.

He opened the door and Sye burst in. "Sir, is she alright?"

Elliot's eyes widened, though she knew she shouldn't be so surprised. "You talk too?" she asked.

Sye looked over at her then came closer and put his chin up on the bed. "Yes, I do." But his mouth didn't move when he spoke. It was as if she was hearing his voice in her head, but she knew it had come from Sye. "Are you feeling better?"

Elliot looked from the dog to the beast. Everyone in this house was worried about her. But she had tried to run away! Shouldn't they feel angry and betrayed?

"I suppose I am doing a little better. Thank you." It was strange carrying on a conversation with a dog, but no more strange than carrying on a conversation with the reptilian beast who still stood by the door, looking down at his long feet.

"What… what did you see in there?" Sye asked

Elliot stiffened. She had kept herself from thinking about the demons, or tried to, at least. She shuddered as she remembered them and shook her head. "I… I would rather not say." She stirred her soup, avoiding Sye and the beast's gaze.

A few seconds passed but they felt like hours before the beast sighed and opened the door. "Pleassse, finisssh your lunch and then ressst. Come, Ssssye." He left the room and once the dog was out as well, he closed the door leaving Elliot alone.

She groaned and rubbed her forehead. She felt very tired, scared and confused. She put the tray on the nightstand by her untouched mug of tea and rolled onto her stomach, falling into a fitful sleep.

* * *

It hadn't taken long to find the old man. All Eric had to do was look in the phonebook and there he was! He scribbled down the address and drove to the house. James wasn't with him. He didn't need that idiot there to ruin everything. He had to be charming for Elliot's father and James would only make him angry.

He knocked on the door and waited. There was no answer. He knocked again, and still no answer. He frowned and looked over at the driveway. There was a car there, so someone had to be in there. "Mr. Miller? Are you in there? I want to talk about your daughter, Elli-"

The door flew open and a short, old man with graying hair stood there. He wore a dirty white tee shirt and dirty, wrinkly jeans. "Elliot! What do you know about her?" he asked. He sounded hysterical and Eric resisted the urge to wrinkle his nose. When was the last time this man brushed his teeth?

"I am a friend of Elliot's, but I haven't seen of heard from her in a week."

"A week?" Roger asked. "She's been here for most of the week. She's only be gone for… almost two days now." Eric didn't miss the horrible sadness in the old man's voice and eyes. Mr. Miller shook his head. "Wait, you said you were her _friend_?"

"That's of no importance now, Sir," Eric said. "I have to know where she is. Is she safe?"

Eric stepped back when he saw that Roger's eyes began to water. The old man was crying! Oh lord, what was he going to do with a sobbing old man? "Tell me where she is!" he ordered, grabbing Roger's shoulders and shaking him.

Roger just shook his head. "I can't, I can't! He told me not to…."

"Who?"

Roger paled, realizing what he had said. "No one!" He pushed Eric away with surprising strength. "Leave me be!"

Eric grabbed the door before Roger could slam it. "I'm not leaving until I know where she is!"

Roger glared at him, but the anger wasn't there. He just looked… lost. "I can't. I said too much already."

"But you said nothing!" Eric pushed open the door and walked past Roger into the living room. It was a pigsty. There were papers everywhere and dirty dishes on the counter. The air was stale, humid and smelled of sweat.

"I want you to leave now! Go, before I call the police." But Eric ignored him. He went farther into the room and saw a notepad on the couch. It was open and it looked as if Roger had been taking notes. At the top, it said, "Conference, New York City, March 27th to April 3rd."

'_That's around the same time Elliot stopped speaking to me. The old man said she'd been gone for two days, since the fifth, then.'_

"Weren't you out of town, Mr. Miller?" Eric asked, turning away from the notebook. "Elliot spoke of you going on a trip. When did you get in?"

Roger frowned. "Who are you? I don't believe Elliot ever told me that she had a… friend."

"She's so secretive!" Eric said with a smile and extended his hand, shaking Mr. Miller's hand. "I'm Eric Dawson, and before you ask, Elliot and I are not dating." _'Yet.'_

"I wasn't going to ask," Roger said slowly.

Eric nodded. "How long were you out of town?"

Roger sighed and began to clean to the living room a little. "I got in last night," he said slowly.

"That's longer than Elliot said you should have been gone! Did you have any troubles getting back?"

Roger stiffened and turned away from Eric. "What happened is none of your concern. Elliot is fine. When I hear from her… I will tell her you stopped by."

The old man's voice cracked and Eric smirked. He doubted Mr. Miller would be hearing from Elliot any time soon. Something happened to her and he was fairly certain that she was in New York.

"It was nice speaking to you, Mr. Miller. I'll be on my way now." And without another word he left the house and drove back home, wondering how he would find Elliot in New York.

* * *

It was dark when Elliot woke up. She stretched and then rolled onto her stomach. The crack of the curtain whipping caused her to bolt upright in bed. It was windy out, it howled through the night like a monster, and her window had been left open. She crawled out of bed and leaned out the window to pull the doors closed. She felt a few fat raindrops fall on her and somewhere thunder roared She locked the window and stepped back. There was a flash of lightning that lit up her room. Elliot was pale, with dark circles under her eyes and her hair a mess, sticking up at odd angles. She rubbed her face and went into the bathroom, remembering how awful she felt and looked. She sat on the edge of the tub and pumped water into it. When she was done she stood in front of the full-length mirror.

She still wore the outfit she had on when she tried to run away. She closed her eyes and saw her father melting, revealing the demon underneath. Her eyes shot open and she stumbled back. A quiet laugh echoed through the house, making Elliot shudder. She took off her shirt and then noticed that there were no rips on the back. The demon had scratched her shirt, though, and her back. She turned around and looked over her shoulder. Her back had no scratches on it. "It really was all in my head…"

She put her hands to her temples as if to keep anything else from coming in uninvited. She finished undressing and slid into the water. She lay there for a long time, staring up at the ceiling. The house was silent. She could hear the rain hitting her bedroom window. She could hear a clock ticking somewhere in the house. And then she heard the creak of a door opening. She sat up in the tub straighter. It had sounded so loud. "Hello?" she called. The clock answered her with its constant ticking. With a frown, she leaned back against the tub. She closed her eyes and saw her mother with her cold skin and angry eyes. She sat up, her eyes widening. "No, no!" she yelled, hitting her head with the palms of her hands. "Get out of me!" Every time she closed her eyes she could see the demons. She could feel them and hear them when she was sleeping, and when she blinked she would see a flash of a metallic skull surrounded by flames. "No, no, no, no…"

She rubbed herself clean and wrapped a towel around her. Once back in her room, she searched the walls for a lantern. She found it and turned it up slowly, letting the flame light up her room. She changed into a simple nightgown that she found in the dresser and then lay down to try to sleep. But the memory of the demons wouldn't let her. The rain came down harder and the booming of thunder became more and more frequent. That mixed with the demons in her head was enough to make Elliot cry out in frustration and fear. She pushed the curtains back and went out into the hall. Everything was too quiet, too still. It made the demons seem even more real.

"Hello?" she called, hoping someone was awake. "Sye? Leo? Michael?" She stopped in the foyer and turned in a slow circle. "In anyone awake?"

She was about to give up and go back to bed when she heard music coming down the hall. Someone was playing the violin. It was a sweet, haunting melody that made Elliot sway back and forth. She walked towards the sound, tiptoeing so she wouldn't alarm the person playing. She remembered where the room with all the instruments was and went down the hall towards it. She stopped just outside the door. Light came from the crack between the door and the floor. She put her ear against the wood and smiled. The person had switched songs and was doing something more lively, like an old jig of some sort.

She opened the door and stepped inside, closing the door behind her. What she saw made her jaw drop. The curtains separating the music room and the ballroom had been opened. On the right wall of the ballroom was a wide fireplace. A fire burned in its hearth. But all the other walls were stained glass. There were purple orchids on one window, a red and orange phoenix on another, a grove of trees with fairies living in them on another wide window. When lightning flashed it made the white marble floor turn all sorts of colors. The light wood ceiling was high and domed, with carved dragons, eagles and pixies on it.

And in the center of the room was a man. A human man! Her heart leaped at seeing another human. He was playing the violin and dancing around the room as he did so. He would thump the floor once in a while to match the rhythm from his violin, and then he would be off once again, twisting and spinning to the music. He wore a cream-colored poet shirt, with loose sleeves and an open front. His pants were gray and he wore calf high black boots. His wavy, auburn hair was long and tied back with a blue ribbon. He was spinning so fast that she couldn't see his face.

Then he looked up from his spinning and saw her. He dropped his bow and stumbled, finally balancing on one foot. He had the darkest eyes she had ever seen, a straight nose and thin lips. He had a wide face, perfect for smiling, and there was stubble on his chin and cheeks. Lightning struck and he jumped, falling to the floor. Elliot's eyes widened and she ran over to him. "I'm really sorry for scaring you!" she said, but she was trying to keep herself from smiling. "Are you all right?"

* * *

Oliver hadn't been able to sleep. He blamed the lightning storm. It never ceased to fill him with energy. So after checking up on Elliot and finding that she was occupying her bathroom, he went to the music room. He had dusted off his violin and started to play, but the room was so small and stuffy. It took a lot of work to push back both curtains, but it was worth it.

He remembered when he made this room. It hadn't been on the original blueprint, but his father said that every gentleman needed a ballroom to entertain his guests. So Oliver himself had designed it. The pure white marble was perfect. It looked orange near the fire, and near the windows it was a blend of different colors. He and his brothers had carved the ceiling, and his father had helped make all of the windows. His mother had even helped by making some drawings they could use for the ceiling and windows.

When he came in this room, he felt as if his family were still alive and still taking care of him. But coming into the room also made him feel horrid because he knew it wasn't true. That's why he started off with a sad, haunting song. It reflected his pain of the past. But, as he always did, he thought that his family wouldn't want him dwelling there in the past, so he started to play a favorite old jig of his. It, and the lightning, inspired him to dance, so he did.

But then she came in. When he saw her he stopped breathing for a moment. She looked like a ghost at first, in the white nightgown, but then he noticed how the fire made her skin glow, and how her eyes sparkled with amazement.

He cursed himself when he fell over. _'Stupid, stupid!'_

She rushed over and he had no idea what she was saying. Her cheeks were rosy, her auburn hair shone and her eyes were… mesmerizing. _'The beast will never forgive me for thinking her beautiful,'_ he thought with a small smile.

He stood quickly and held out his hand for her. "I am all right milady," he said. She slipped her small, soft hand in his and he pulled her to her feet. "But…" he added with the small grin returning. "You are laughing at me."

She blushed and looked away. "Not _at _you, really. I was laughing _with_ you."

"But I wasn't laughing." His grin widened and he was having a hard time suppressing his own laughter.

She looked at him and smiled. "You are now!"

He let himself laugh. She laughed as well. It was more musical and beautiful than the tune he played on his violin. "I apologize, milady. I haven't introduced myself." He bowed deeply, making her step back with wide eyes. "I am Oliver Mason Powell."

She smiled and gave him a little curtsy. "I'm Elliot Miller. It's nice to meet you."

"I know of you," he said, his dark eyes sparkling with mischief. He picked up his bow from the ground and began to move back to the music room. She followed, though she was uncertain if she should or not. "What are you doing out of bed at this late hour?"

She tensed and bit her lip. When Oliver turned around and saw the fearful look on her face she sighed. "It was the demons, wasn't it?"

Her eyes widened once again. "How did you know?"

"The beast told me what had happened." He put the violin and the bow back in its case and then put the case up on a shelf.

"Why are you here?" she asked, stepping forward. "I thought there were only… I mean, I thought I was the only human here."

"The beast is an old friend of mine." Elliot's eyes widened at this and he grinned. "He really isn't awful. I watch over the house when everyone sleeps. Many times people have come by at night, believing this to be an abandoned house. I keep them away."

"But the demons…"

"Are only in the forest." He smiled at her and sat on the piano bench. "The people who come here come up the road. They don't walk through the forest, and the demons never leave it."

Elliot frowned and a hand went to her temple. She sat on a stool opposite him and asked slowly, "If they can't leave the forest… then why do they still haunt me?"

Oliver looked down at his hands. He had never gone into the forest; he only knew what was there from what he was told. "I am not an expert, but I think it is only the memory of the demon that haunts you. If one had… entered you, and was still in you, then you would not be sane now. You might even be dead. The only way they can leave that forest is through someone who believes in them."

"One was in me…"

Oliver nodded. He couldn't grasp just how terrified she was, but he could understand why she couldn't sleep. Just thinking of what lurked in the forest sometimes gave him nightmares. "I am positive that it was removed. The best thing you can do now is rest."

She nodded, not telling him that when she closed her eyes she saw them and felt them. She stood to go, but before she left the room, she asked, "Will I see you again? It would be nice to speak to another human." He looked at her and noticed how lost and alone she looked. The beast often had the same look. "And I would also like to make sure that this isn't some sort of dream," she added with a smile.

Oliver smiled as well. "I am a creature of the night, Elliot, and you're a creature of the day. Who is to say when our paths shall cross again?"

She sighed, not satisfied with that answer but she said nothing about it. "Well, then goodnight." She waved and went off to her room. When she lay down, she didn't think of the demons. She thought of Oliver.

* * *

A.N- That was a fast update! And I want to thank Lotte Rose 37! I LOVE your reviews! I had no intention of writing today, and if I had I doubted it would have been a whole chapter! But your last review inspired me. Gold stars and three cheers to Lotte Rose:D 


	9. The Fourth and Final Girl

Disclaimer: I STILL don't own Beauty and the Beast. Jeez. Why won't they let me have it already!

Chapter Nine

A large bowl of porridge had been placed on her nightstand early that morning. It was cold when she woke up, and she ate it as fast as she could, wishing to fill her empty stomach. She had barely touched her soup yesterday and before that the last thing she had eaten was breakfast with the beast. _'I had been stuffing food down my throat then, too. Must be a morning thing.'_

She took a quick bath and only when she was getting dressed did she realize that the demons were gone. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. There were two, dull orange spots in the blackness, but no metal skulls and flames. She could still feel them in her. They had left a mark and she knew she would never feel the same again. But they were so small. She couldn't feel them unless she searched within herself. She knew that they might come back if she was ever scared, but for now she was safe. She sighed then went back into her room.

Michael was just leaving, carrying the empty bowl. "Thank you!" she called after him. He only flicked his tail before closing the door. Left alone, she began to think of last night's events. Her head still hurt from all that she had seen and learned, but thinking of Oliver dancing in the ballroom put a smile on her face. She wasn't alone in this madhouse….

"If only he wasn't 'a creature of the night'," she said, sitting on her bed and pulling at a bead sewn onto her light blue skirt. "Until night, I'm alone."

She heard a scurrying sound and looked down at her feet to see a gray mouse come out from under her bed. "That's not true," the mouse said. "There are many animals here to keep you company, plus there's the master."

Ellie stared at the little talking mouse. Carol spoke like Sye did, as if she were sending her thoughts directly to Ellie's mind. But she could see Carol's nose twitching when she spoke.

"The master?" she asked eventually. "You don't mean the beast, do you?" she said with a wrinkle of her nose.

The mouse let out a tinkling sort of laugh, the kind Ellie wouldn't expect to come from a mouse at all. "Yes, I mean the beast," she said. She climbed up the comforter and came up on her hind legs when she was on top of the bed. Ellie raised an eyebrow. She found that it wasn't so strange anymore to be talking to a mouse. Maybe she had read too many fairy tales when she was younger, but she had come to terms with the situation she was in fairly quick. She has asked the beast how this was all possible, but he said that he couldn't say. She looked over at Carol who was now cleaning her paw and smiled.

"So… Carol… how did you meet the beast?"

She looked up from her paw and Ellie heard her quiet laugh again. "I was looking for work, Dearie. He hired me. It's very quite simple. All of us here work for the beast."

Ellie frowned. If he was in charge then why couldn't he tell her anything? "And who is the best working for?"

Carol paused and her little mousy face scrunched up in confusion. "No one. He works for no one, Dearie."

Ellie nodded, but she got the feeling that Carol was keeping something from her. Everyone in this house was hiding something. That much was obvious. There had to be a logical reason to everything. _'Is that so?'_ she thought. _'It could be a_ real _fairy tale. It could just be… magic.'_ It seemed so silly, but it was the only explanation she could come up with. She thought over what Carol said and asked, "You came to the beast looking for work? I mean no offense, but what is it that you can do to help him? You're so small."

Carol laughed again. "I wasn't this small when I asked for work! I was like you. Not as tall, not as pretty and not as young, but I was still like you. We all were at some point in time."

"Really?" Ellie said, lying down on her stomach, her head near Carol. "Even the beast was human?" She frowned suddenly. "I keep calling him the beast… does he have a name?"

"He was human at one time, and at one time he did have a name. He has forgotten it. We went through many changes together, but he blamed himself for everything. It was terrible… he forgot who he was and now he is just the beast of the house. The Master of the House of Rose. You may call him Beast. He only goes by Beast or Master and he won't have you calling him Master."

"What happened to make you all change? And can you change back?"

Carol always had a cheerful look in her eyes. She was sweet and kind. Ellie didn't know her for very long, but when she first spoke to her and watched her, she knew that it would be hard for her to imagine Carol sad. But now she didn't have to imagine it. She saw the same, sad, hopeful look the beast had enter Carol's eyes. It made Ellie wish she had bit her tongue to keep from saying anything. She started to apologize, but Carol said, "I can't say what happened. And… I am not sure if there's a way to change us back." She said the last part so fast Ellie almost had a hard time figuring out what she had said exactly.

"Enough about that, Dearie," Carol said. "When I came in I believe I heard you speaking of "a creature of the night". Who might this be?"

Ellie smiled and rolled over onto her back as her thoughts wandered to Oliver once again. Carol had said that she and everyone else in the house used to be human, but she couldn't picture it. Oliver was a real human. He was kind, sweet and real. "That's what he told me he was. I met a man last night in the ballroom. He said that he was a creature of the night, and I was a creature of the day. I didn't speak to him for very long… he seemed so strange… but I enjoyed his company. He helped me get over the demons."

"Ohh, that must have been Oliver Powell."

"Oliver _Mason _Powell," Ellie said with a smile.

"He's a handsome one, isn't he?"

The question caught Ellie off guard. She remembered watching television shows where a group of teenage girls would have a sleepover and talk about boys all night. She had thought that it was silly, but here she was… doing the same thing. "I suppose he is. If you like that old-fashioned look," she added with a grin. Ellie didn't mention that she _did_ like the old-fashioned look. "He said he watches over the mansion at night. Where does he stay in the day time?"

"He lives not far from here," Carol said slowly. "In a small house up the road, far from the cities. He generally likes to be alone. He has a few friends here, Sye, and the master are a couple of them. To be honest, I'm surprised he spoke to you last night." She paused and licked her paw then nibbled on it a little. Ellie laughed, imagining a little old lady in Carol's place, licking and biting her hand. "So what did you two talk about last night?" Carol asked, ignoring Ellie's fit of giggles.

Ellie smiled, a far away, dreamy look on her face as she recounted last night's events, starting from when she woke up in the middle of the night. Carol was a good listener. Ellie could see in her eyes that she was really thinking about that she had to say. "I thought I heard music last night," Carol said with a smile in her voice when Ellie spoke of Oliver playing the violin. Ellie loved talking to Carol. It made her feel as if living in this house wouldn't be so bad, because now she had a friend. It had been a very long time since she had had a good friend and she couldn't stop smiling.

"You should have asked him to dance," Carol said when Ellie finished her story. "I think he would have liked that."

Ellie snorted. "I don't know. I get the feeling that I'm not really his type."

"You don't know that," Carol said with a sigh. "Now, let's keep your encounter with Oliver between you, me and him."

"You don't want me to tell Beast, then?"

"I think it would be for the best if he did not know. Oliver and the master are good friends, but… I don't think the master will be happy if he knew that you were up and wandering the halls at night. He would be sick with worry every time he went to bed."

With a frown, Ellie asked, "He worries about me?"

"Of course! You didn't notice that? He was fraught with it when you ran off and when you were having those nightmares."

"Carol… I don't understand. Beast seems nice enough and you say that he does worry about me. But if that's true then why was he so cruel to my father? Why won't he let me go home? He must realize that I'm a prisoner here."

"He notices, and he hates it. He is a very gentle, caring man, despite the fangs and scales. If you can learn to see past all that, then you will see what I mean."

Ellie flushed. Carol's words made her feel awful, but she knew that she couldn't just accept Beast so quickly. She didn't trust him, and she couldn't just because Carol says he is kind.

"Follow me. You have been cooped up in this room all morning. I think you should meet the rest of the household." Carol climbed back down to the floor and Ellie stood up, walking slowly behind the mouse to the door. "Almost everyone has been hiding since you showed up. It has been such a long time since we had a visitor." Ellie opened the door and Carol rushed out into the hall. "We'll go to the kitchens first. You've met Michael already, but there are other chefs you must meet as well." So Ellie followed Carol down the hall and past the foyer to meet more of the strange creatures living in the House of Rose.

-

The beast was sitting on his bed, pulling at the hem of his tunic. He had torn it three times already, but he didn't seem to notice. Leo was on the nightstand, next to the mirror. Leo was always surprised at how bland that small attic was. The rest of the beast's house was simple, but it was beautiful in its simplicity. It had elegant accents, and everything was smooth and bright. But the attack wasn't beautiful. Simple, yes, but not at all beautiful. The paint on the walls and rafters was peeling, and the low bed was creaky. Almost every piece of furniture was wobbly and the floor was all scratched up, as was the door.

"I don't see why you won't fix this room up a bit more," Leo said. "You spend most of your time up here and it looks awful. Well, you used to spend most of your time up here. Ever since Elliot showed up you've been eating in the dining hall and pacing through the halls. You never acted like this before, even when we did have a "guest" before Elliot."

"Ssshe isss different," the beast said. "Ssshe isss the lasst one."

"I know that," Leo said, sounding irritated. "She is the fourth girl that the mistress needs, is she not? What would that make her? Mind? No, that was Melanie. Spirit?"

"Yess…" the beast said. "Her ssspirit isss ssstrong and fierce. It isss jussst what the missstresss wantsss. Ssshe hass been waiting a long time to find a woman like Elliot."

"Then why hasn't she done anything? This is her second day here, correct? The first night doesn't count. The mistress usually does her work within hours of the woman being here. Why is Elliot getting special treatment?"

"The misstresss isss weak. Elliot isss the lassst woman, the lassst rossse. After ssshe isss done with Elliot, ssshe hasss sssomething elsse that ssshe needsss to do. It will take a lot of power and energy. Ssshe will be resting."

"Will she be done resting before winter?"

The beast frowned. "Why do you ssseem ssso anxiousss?"

"Curious, is all."

The beast hissed, his eyes narrowing a little at the mouse. "I don't think ssso. Now, ssshe isss half awake, but when winter comesss…"

Everyone in the house always looked forward to winter. When winter came, they was completely free of the mistress. Her dark, looming presence was gone and everyone could feel it. It was as if someone has pushed the curtain back and let in the light to wash over them.

"We have almost a year to wait for winter. Are you sure she won't regain her powers by then?"

"Ssshe hasss alwaysss been weak. It took a lot of her energy to get the demon out of Elliot. "Ssshe findsss Elliot to be amusssing. Ssshe will keep her around to amussse herssself and to torment me. Everything isss a game to her, remember?"

"Of course I remember! I'm a mouse because of her stupid game."

The beast chuckled, even though he could feel the mistress bristle inside him at Leo's comment.

"What are you still doing up here, anyway? Michael told me that you didn't eat your breakfast."

"No, I didn't," was all the beast said. He felt anxious, more so than usual. He had spoken with Oliver early this morning before the man departed. He said that nothing was amiss or afoot in the house, but he had seemed nervous. He was keeping something from the beast and it made him very, very anxious and irritated. What could Oliver be hiding? He had been up all morning trying to figure out what it was, but the more he thought of it the more confused he got. Oliver had been his friend for years. They never kept anything from each other. Why now? What had happened last night?

Leo sighed and began to climb down the nightstand. "Being in your company is depressing sometimes." The beast snorted and stood up. "Why don't you speak to her?"

"Elliot?" Leo nodded once. "I don't think that isss a good idea. Ssshe doess not hate me, but now may not be the bessst time. I want to give her ssspace."

"You're being foolish. If you want her to break this curse, for all of us, then you need to talk to her. She needs to be comfortable around you and that may take a while. The more time you spend with her, then the more likely she is of breaking this curse."

"No, no… I can't ssspeak to her yet. Ssshe will have too many quessstionsss that I cannot anssswer. Ssshe will be angry and confusssed. If I leave her alone for a few more daysss, then it may be easssier to sspeak to her."

"Easier for you or for her?" The beast shook his head and walked to the door, ignoring the black mouse. "So you're content to let the mistress do what she will with Elliot, then?"

"Of courssse not!" the beast cried, his hand on the doorknob. "I won't let anything hurt Elliot. You don't underssstand how hard it isss for me to sssee her and not tell her everything. After what happened yesssterday, she will have many quessstionsss. Perhapss Carol will anssswer them to the bessst of her knowledge and Elliot will not asssk me anything when I sssee her next…"

"You're just a coward!" Leo yelled. "You can't face her because you think she'll beg you to let her leave, and she'll hate you for saying no. That's why you can't face her now, isn't it? She has had enough time to think about the demons and she will have realized by now that she truly will go mad here. She'll offer you anything just as long as you'll let her go and the mistress won't let you accept. That's it, isn't it? You're scared that-"

"Sstop it, Leo!" the beast yelled, whirling around to face the mouse. "I am ssscared. But I'm ssscared for her. If what you dessscribed indeed happensss, then the witch might take control of me again. Ssshe will make me lock her up! I can't let that happen to her. That isss why I want to avoid her for a few more daysss. Sshe may grow to love thiss houssse and maybe ssshe won't want to leave it."

"But she won't grow to love you, and that's what we want to happen. We want her to want to stay with _you_, not the house."

"I know what I'm doing, Leo." His voice was stern and angry. The finality of it made Leo sigh.

"Alright. I'm sorry."

The beast nodded and opened the door. Leo climbed onto the beast's foot and then the beast walked out the door and down the stairs. "Will you do me a kindnesss, Leo?" the beast asked.

"Of course," Leo said, feeling bad for having yelled at the beast.

"Keep an eye on Elliot at night. Sssomething happened lassst night and Oliver won't tell me what it isss."

"Really? That is very odd. He normally tells you everything."

"I know. That iss why I have been anxiousss thiss morning. Sssye wass ssleeping and doesss not know what Oliver wasss up to. Watch Elliot and tell me if sshe doesss anything ssstrange."

"Involving Oliver?"

The beast paused. They had reached the second floor and he could hear footsteps downstairs and Carol's soft voice as they went towards the dinning hall. When he heard a door close, he said, "That isss what I am mainly concerned with, but it truly doesss not matter. Elliot may have done sssomething lassst night that the misstresss would not like and Oliver could be keeping it from me ssso the missstresss and I won't get angry. Sshe'sss a heavy ssleeper at night," he added, referring to the mistress. "But I don't know what happened, that isss why I want you to watch her. Whatever Oliver isss keeping from me, Elliot isss involved."

-

Ellie stared into the kitchen, her jaw dropped. The kitchen was huge and was very modern. The refrigerator was a surprise, as was the large stove in one corner. Michael was standing at the island in the middle of the kitchen, cards in his hand. A little monkey was sitting across from him on the island, also holding cards. They seemed to be playing speed. The monkey was silent as he slapped down cards and Michael kept grumbling as he waited for his chance to put a card down. A chicken walked past Carol and Ellie, ruffling her feathers as she went. There were a couple other birds in the room. A hawk was perched on a basket hanging from the ceiling; another colorful bird that Ellie couldn't name was flying around the kitchen. It was the most beautiful bird Ellie had ever seen. It was a bright green with a long, flowing tail. She wished she could remember what it was called. There was also another monkey looking through the refrigerator. They were both spider monkeys. And lastly, there was a gorilla in the corner of the room peeling potatoes.

Two of the birds were very loud. The hawk and the chicken kept chatting amongst themselves and she could also hear a loud voice coming from the refrigerator asking about mustard. The chicken was the loudest of them all. "I most certainly do NOT waddle!" she was saying to the hawk. "I am very graceful, I'll have you know." She flapped her wings when the hawk laughed.

"Chickens are bumbling birds," the hawk said. He had a French accent. "They have no grace. Cheri and myself, however, are very graceful." To demonstrate his point, he spread his wings and swooped down from his perch, flying under the colorful bird, around the monkey on the counter and right past Ellie. The monkey had jumped back in surprise and Michael quickly slapped down his cards and stomped his hooves triumphantly when he had no more cards to play. The monkey threw his cards down in anger and the colorful bird landed on the counter next to all the cards.

"We have some visitors," she said. Her voice was soft and quiet, but everyone seemed to hear and they all turned to look at Ellie and Carol.

"Good morning everyone!" Carol said. "I want you all to meet Elliot. This is her second day here and she will be staying with us for a while."

The gorilla in the corner snorted. "She'll be staying until the mistress grows tired of her," he grumbled.

"What does that mean?" Ellie asked, a frown on her face. "What mistress?"

"Oh, look what you've done, you old fool!" the chicken said, ruffling her feathers once again. Turning to Ellie, she said, "Don't worry about what he says. Arthur is old and gets confused." The gorilla puffed out his chest and gripped the potato in his hand so hard he squished it. Ellie doubted that what the chicken said was true, but everyone seemed so tense and uncomfortable that she didn't say anything. She would ask Carol about it later. "My name is Myra, the quiet quetzal there is Cheri. The rude hawk is Èlie. The spider monkeys are Niles," the monkey playing cards waved to her, "and Hugh," the monkey at the refrigerator looked up when he heard his name. And the centaur is…"

"Elliot and I have met, Myra. I apologize for cutting you off; I know how much you enjoy listening to your own voice." Èlie laughed and Myra grumbled something under her breath. "What brings you two in here? Was the breakfast to your liking?" He directed the last question at Ellie.

"It was very good," she said. His gaze was so intense and calculating that Ellie fought the urge to fidget. "Thank you."

Michael continued to stare at her and when Ellie didn't look away, he nodded and turned back to his cards, gathering them all together and shuffling them. "I'm introducing her to everyone," Carol said. "Do you know where the triplets are?"

"I think they're at the pond with Sye," Hugh said, jumping up onto the counter with Niles, a bottle of mustard in his hand. "But are you sure that you should take her out there after what happened yesterday?" Niles kicked Hugh lightly, his eyes narrowed. "I mean… umm…"

"You all know, then?" Ellie asked.

They were all silent and avoided looking at her. But Myra didn't seem uncomfortable. "Of course we all know. Word travels fast here. Claire in the vegetable garden heard Sye barking and of course she had to investigate and when she saw the master climb over the fence after you she told everyone else in the garden and they told me and then…"

"And then everyone knew," Èlie said. "You have to excuse her. She doesn't know when to stop talking," he said, putting emphasis on the last two words.

"Elliot will be fine," Carol said, turning around. "We should be going. We have plenty of people to meet and so little time!"

"It was nice to meet all of you," Ellie said as she opened the door and stepped back into the dining hall. She closed the door and followed Carol who was already to the door leading to the foyer.

"Where did all of that come from?" Ellie asked. "The stove, the mustard, the refrigerator. This house and everything else seems so old…"

"Oliver brought it all here. Once Michael found out about those modern appliances he insisted on having them. It took Oliver months to figure out how to get electricity here." The mouse fumbled over the word "electricity". "Oliver also brings us our food.

"They're a wild bunch, they are. Cheri doesn't say much. It's so sweet, though. Èlie has been in love with her for years and has done everything to gain her affection. She is so quiet and unsure of herself, though." Elliot opened the door at the other end of the end of the dining hall and Carol ran across the foyer. "Myra is loud and obnoxious, but she'll grow on you, Dearie. Arthur is very stern and serious, and…"

Ellie had been staring down at Carol as she walked across the foyer and didn't notice the beast coming down the stairs. The beast had been staring at his foot and didn't notice Ellie walking right by the stairs so they were both surprised when they bumped into each other. The beast had been walking fast when he bumped into Ellie, so she ended up falling to the ground with a yelp. "Watch it!" Leo said as the beast stumbled back and the mouse rolled off his foot and landed on his back. "You clumsy fools!" he said, getting back on his feet and shaking himself. Ellie had sat up and was rubbing the back of her head.

"That's not very nice of you, Leo," she said. The beast stood up quickly and offered Ellie his hand. She flinched away from it, noticing the sharp claws and all the little scales there. She was sure the scales themselves were sharp enough to cut her skin. She stood up and brushed herself off, avoiding the beast's gaze. He seemed to be doing the same. What could she say to this beast? He had saved her life, and she only heard good things about him. But why did he save her? He was keeping her locked up in here just because her father tried to steal a rose. Her poor father… the beast had locked him up in a cell! She should hate him, fear him… but she couldn't find it in herself to hate him as much as she wanted to. There was a little bit of hate in her, but she mostly pitied him. He looked so sad and… well, pathetic sometimes. It didn't suit his appearance at all.

"I… I'm…." the beast started and then cleared his throat nervously. Leo nudged his foot with his nose, urging him to continue. "I'm sssorry for knocking you over," he finished in a rush.

Ellie nodded and they stood in an awkward silence for a few moments, neither knowing what to say or do. The beast was very tense and he had a far away look in his eyes as if he were paying attention to a quiet voice no one else could hear.

"We were just going to the pond!" Carol piped in, her voice too chipper. It sounded forced. "Would you two care to join us?"

"Yes, of-"

"No," the beast said, cutting Leo off. "We are very busssy…" Leo seemed to pout a little as he climbed back onto the beast's foot. "Good day," he said, nodding his head to Ellie and Carol before walking around them and going towards the hall.

"Thank you," Ellie blurted out. She turned around so she was facing the beast once again and repeated, "Thank you. For yesterday…"

The beast stared at her, nodded and then went down the hall.

-

"Go talk to her," Leo said once they were half way down the hall. Ellie and Carol were walking down another hall past the rooms separating them. They could hear Elliot laughing at what Carol was saying. "She doesn't hate you, and she obviously doesn't have a whole lot of questions to ask you. Go to talk to her."

"No."

"Go!"

"No."

"What's wrong with you?" Leo asked. "You said you didn't want to talk to her because of the questions she might ask and she didn't ask any questions! What's keeping you from talking to her?"

"Did you ssse the way ssshe looked at me? Sshe wasss filled with hate, then anger and then… pity," he said, even though his mind wasn't on the looks she gave. His heart was pounding because she had thanked him. But he got a feeling that it didn't matter if their relationship was going somewhere. He had a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach…

"And then she thanked you. Honestly, you need to stop being so pessimistic."

The beast nodded, but didn't say anything. He could feel the mistress stirring in him. She had woken up when he bumped into Elliot. Was she getting stronger just because he was around her?

"Yes…" a voice said within him, making him pause.

'_I can never speak to her, can I? Not unless I want you to gain your strength faster.'_

"Sire?" Leo asked. "What's wrong?" The beast shook his head and started walking again, slower this time as he was concentrating on the mistress' words.

"The other girls did not make me stronger when you were near them. But that is to be expected. I didn't pick them for their strength and fire. That is what Ellie is here for."

'_Then… this curse will go on. Elliot cannot break it if I am never around her. And when I am around her… you will gain your strength faster. Too fast for the curse to be broken.'_

He heard her laugh. The sound made his head hurt. "You are correct, my pet. You are doomed either way, for I haunt you during the day, and she truly is a creature of the day. Which will you choose? Will you isolate yourself and suffer slowly all alone in your agony, or will you make her end come sooner than it is needed?"

'_I… I don't know.' _

"Whatever you choose, remember that I will be watching you… and Elliot. Do not fool yourself into thinking that you are safe from me. This _witch_ is always listening and spying. Now, tell all of your furry little friends to be silent. If anyone lets slip my existence again then I will have you kill Elliot with your bare hands."

'_You wouldn't do that…. You need her,' _he thought frantically. The thought of him hurting Elliot made him stop in his tracks all together, much to the annoyance of Leo. He could never hurt her. He clenched his hands, his nails biting into his scaly skin.

"Oh, you stupid boy. There are only a certain number of personalities out there. I will find one that is close to Elliot's in time. She is disposable. I would just rather not have to wait for another girl like her to come along. I really do hate waiting. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

The beast shuddered and nodded his head. _'I do. I will tell them to be more careful with their words.'_

"Good." He felt a sharp pain in his chest and breathing became difficult. He fell to his knees, almost squishing Leo who had left the beast's foot. He felt cold and light headed. The tightness in his chest increased and his stomach was rolling. "That is a reminder. Do not disappoint me."

Then she was gone. The pain slowly left him as well. She was still in him. She was always there. Now, she was half asleep but he could still feel her anger in him.

"Sire?" Leo said. He was gasping for breath and one of his hands rested on his chest. "It was her, wasn't it?"

The beast nodded and stood up. His legs were shaky. "I can't ssspeak to Elliot," he said. "Ssshe getsss ssstronger when I am around her."

"But… then how will you break the curse?"

The beast shook his head and turned around, beginning to walk back to the foyer. Leo caught up with him and jumped up on his foot. "I don't know. We have to go ssspeak to the kitchen ssstaff. Apparently one of them mentioned the misstresss."

-

A.N- Wow. So much for having more time to write. I'm so sorry for the long delay. I keep getting distracted and now school's about to start. Dang. I was just beginning to enjoy the summer.

Thank you all for all your reviews! They're so awesome! I hope this chapter is all right. Not a whole lot of action, but the next chapter should be more interesting. XD


	10. The First Three and The Wasted One

A.N – If some of you remember in chapter seven, the beast mentioned Lila who had come to his house sixty years ago. I hate changing things like this, but you will see in this chapter that she came by only six years ago. I'm very sorry to have changed something like that. I hate doing it.

Oh, and I don't own Beauty and the Beast.

Chapter Ten

The beast rushed back up to his room after reprimanding the kitchen staff for letting the word "mistress" slip in front of Elliot. Arthur grumbled his apology and the others were silent, but the beast did not care to stay long and see their reactions anyway. He did not care for much of anything at the moment. He had been so sure that Elliot would be the one. She had to be. She was the last woman the mistress needed; if it wasn't her… then no one could break the curse. What would happen once the mistress got her final rose? He knew she would regain all of her strength and she wouldn't need him. He was a vessel, and once she had Elliot, she would no longer need him.

Leo had tried to follow him, but he was too fast for the little mouse. He went up to his room and locked the door, even though it wouldn't do any good. It wasn't as if Leo could turn the knob and open the door, anyway. He would find a way to get into the attic using other means. But for now, the beast was alone.

'_What will I do?'_ he thought. The mistress was sleeping, and he didn't worry about her responding. For the moment, he was free to think whatever he wanted and to be alone. Everyone in the household had been waiting for a girl to come along that could break the curse. Over the years, the beast had seen dozens of girls, too many to count. Most were too young and if he couldn't send them back home before the witch lost her temper then he was forced to kill the girl. Some men had come by as well, but they never stayed very long, so the beast had never had to kill a man.

Out of the dozens of girls he had seen over the years, only four had been deemed to have potential, not counting Elliot. He was never sure of what happened to them. They had all gone to the basement, but that was all he really knew. He had watched them in his mirror, knowing that they couldn't help him and hating the witch for using them.

Jill had been the first girl. She was picked for her beauty. The beast didn't remember much of her. She had come to his home almost a century ago. She had found the monkeys talking in the kitchen and she ran off into the forest. Michael was sent to bring her back, but it was too late. She was lost in the illusions and the demons haunted her, no matter what the witch did. So, the beast was forced to kill her.

Next came Corrine. The witch chose her for her brain. She wasn't a very attractive woman, but the beast had never seen anyone so smart. She was calculating and always learning new things. She came to the house at night and Oliver let her in. She claimed to be lost. Oliver told the beast that Corrine had talked about all the plants she had seen in the forest across the road from the house. She described them in minute detail and then went on to say what they could be used for. "She was smart," Oliver had told her the day after Corrine was sent to the basement. "But horribly dull." Neither the beast nor Oliver saw her again.

Virginia came next. She was more beautiful than Jill had been. She came during the day, so there were no humans to greet her. When the beast saw in his mirror that she was coming, he had Michael prepare a feast for her and then told everyone to hide. Then he turned on the jukebox that had once been in the dining hall and she stayed to eat and listen to music. When night came, Oliver charmed her and he ushered her into the basement. She had come about fifty years ago. The beast remembered that she had blonde ringlets, dark red lips and was tall and slender. She had a strange skirt with a poodle on it.

The next girl that came nearly broke the beast's heart.

A little girl had come to his doorstep selling cookies six years ago.

She was six, maybe seven, and had rosy cheeks and large green eyes. Her straight red hair shone in the sunlight and the beast wished she would go away, run back to her parents waiting for her at the street. But the witch seized this chance to get a young girl. She took him over completely. He wasn't even aware of what he was doing until it was too late to yell for help or to scream at the girl to run. The beast had thrown the door open and grabbed the girl, pulling her in. She dropped her boxes and papers and started to scream, but the beast put his hand over her mouth, rushed to the door to the basement and went down the stairs. He shoved the girl into the darkness and said he was sorry before the witch made him leave. He could hear her screaming all day. He went through her boxes and papers and learned that her name was Lila M. Phillips. She was in second grade at Lilian Weber Elementary School and lived in 57 Apartment One, West 94th street, New York City. The witch had put spells on dozens of people who came to investigate. The parents had seen something pull their child inside, and had called the police. When the day was over, none of them knew Lila had existed. Even though that had been six years ago, the witch was still weak from the energy and magic she had spent on that day.

He shuddered at the memory and sank into his bed, lying on his side so he faced the wall. And now there was Elliot. He knew she could possibly break the curse because she had a wild spirit. He saw it in her eyes. Him and the witch were drawn to Elliot because of that spirit, that fire that burned in her. The witch _needed _it, and, in a sense, so did the beast.

'_They will never forgive me for this…'_ he thought, thinking of all the members of the household he would be disappointing. But he knew that leaving Elliot alone would be best. If they could wait until winter then he could spend as much time with her as he wanted and not worry about the witch. Now, she slept, but she could still gain her strength from Elliot. She was still in him. But in winter, she was gone. She left his body and stayed in the basement to "hibernate", as she put it. When winter came, he could talk to Elliot and be himself. _'Whoever that is.'_

A part of him wondered if there was a chance that another girl could come by and stay with him. The witch wouldn't be able to draw strength from her. If he could convince the witch to let her stay and live, then he had a chance of breaking the curse for once and all. But what were the chances of that? And did he really want to have another girl come and help him? Visions of Elliot swam through his mind. Her sitting on her couch crying, her eating, sleeping…. _'I really am obsessed with her, aren't I?'_ But he didn't worry about that. He knew that no other girl could help him break the curse but Elliot. But it would be hard for her to fall with him, a monster. He would ask Carol to help him so that when winter came around he would be prepared to set out in this task. He had a long time to wait, though, and he would miss talking to her, even if she glared at him through most of their conversations.

He rolled onto his other side and took the mirror from his nightstand. He thought of Elliot and soon what appeared to be a park came into view.

His estate was very, very large. There were dozens of halls and rooms Elliot had not yet explored, and the land he owned stretched out as well. Fences separated the yard into pieces. The yard she had been in with Sye yesterday was a small fragment of all the land he owned.

This part of the yard had a large pond in it, and a dirt path that wound around the pond and into a thicket of trees. The grass was dark green and flowers bloomed. The triplets insisted that their area was well taken care of.

Then Elliot came into the picture. She was holding her blue skirt up and running away from something, shock and a little bit of fear on her face. The beast tensed and sat up in bed, his tail flicking with worry. But then he saw what she was running away from and a soft, slithery laugh escaped his lizard mouth.

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Elliot was surprised when Carol told her how big the yard really was. She had Elliot open a gate into a beautiful yard with a pond and flowers. The yard she left was ugly and horrid in comparison. She followed the little mouse towards the pond and saw three birds floating on the water. One was a swan, another was a goose and the last was a brightly colored mallard. "These are the triplets," Carol said as they stopped on the dirt path. Elliot was still in awe at the beauty of the clear blue pond and all the flowers. She had never seen a more beautiful, serene place.

"Good morning," Carol began. She was cut off as the goose looked over and saw Elliot. The large bird began to honk angrily and once it was out of the water it flapped its wings and stood up taller, making itself look larger. The young woman had been watching a butterfly fly around the flowers and was oblivious to the goose until it was nearly upon her. She jumped and screamed when the large, angry bird ran at her. Elliot picked up her skirt, turned and ran as fast as she could. She bird was fast and was biting at her heels. Elliot would yelp and jump but she didn't slow down.

"Opal! Opal, stop that!" Carol was yelling as she ran after the bird as fast as her little legs could carry her. The swan and the mallard were chasing them as well, all screaming for Opal to stop. "Opal! She knows!"

Then the goose suddenly stopped. Elliot ran a little ways before she stopped and turned around as well. Opal and Carol were speaking in low tones. Elliot heard the goose exclaim, "Really? How long will she last?" then Carol shushed the bird. Elliot tensed. She was the second creature to say something about the length of Elliot's existence in this house. First the gorilla, now the goose. As soon as they were alone, Elliot was going to ask Carol what it was all about.

The goose looked rather sheepish as she waddled over to Elliot. The woman stepped back, her eyes narrowed. "I'm terribly sorry about that, Dear," Opal said. "I didn't know you were in on our little secret. I thought you were just a wanderer from the city. Oh ho!" she laughed. "I gave you and Carol quite a fright, didn't I? I'm terribly sorry."

"You nearly squashed Carol!" the mallard said, coming forward. "And we all know that you really enjoy acting like a crazy goose now and again." The mallard and the swan both laughed at this.

"You've always been talented and spinning fibs, my dear brother," Opal replied. Elliot could hear the grin in the goose's voice. It was strange to hear one thing and see another. She tried to imagine that the animals were really humans. But she couldn't get the feathers and fur out of these images.

"As I was saying," Carol said, "this is Elliot. She is staying with us for a while and I'm introducing her to everyone. Elliot, this is Opal, and her brother Jonas and their sister, Eleanor."

"How do you do?" the swan asked politely, dipping down and bowing her head as if she were dropping a curtsy.

"Fine… thanks…" Elliot said, a frown on her face.

Eleanor turned to Jonas and they began to whisper amongst themselves. All Elliot caught was "Is she…?" and "Will he…?" before Carol told her that they should go. Opal was still apologizing as they walked across the lawn. Carol had Elliot push open another gate and they stepped into a vegetable garden. One of the walls of the house faced the garden and through the windows Elliot could see dusty desks and abandoned easels. There, Carol introduced Elliot to dozens of moles and rabbits. Carol admitted to not knowing most of their names. Balls of fur surrounded Elliot and they were all talking at once. They all wanted to know how she got her, how long they should expect her to stay and one even asked if she would help them.

"Help you?" Elliot asked. She wasn't entirely sure of what they meant, but she could guess at what it was. But how could she change them back into humans? That was what they would want help with, she assumed. She doubted they wanted her to help them pick carrots.

"We have to go!" Carol said quickly when the rabbits all fell quiet. "Come along, Dearie. There is a door there leading to a study." She gently nudged Elliot's heel and she moved forward, waving goodbye to all the rabbits. The door was unlocked, but Elliot had to press her shoulder and shove it open for it had gotten stuck. The two went into the room and coughed as the outside air stirred up some dust in the room. "I have never been fond of the gardeners. Even before all of this happened they were loud and obnoxious. And they've all multiplied over the years." She shook her head. "It's impossible to keep track if the new ones. They come and go like the seasons. And they are born rabbits, so they have rabbit minds. All the ones you were speaking to had once been humans. Their offspring are not like us at all. But no matter! I believe I have introduced you to everyone there is. Except for Stuart, but it's nearly impossible to find that dratted cat. How about we go get us some lunch?"

Carol started to go to the other side of the room but Elliot stopped her. "Carol, wait…. Earlier Opal asked, "how long will she last?" and Arthur said that I would stay as long the… the mistress was amused by me. What does that mean? Who is she?"

"Oh dear…" Carol said. She sat up on her hind legs and nibbled on her front claws. "Oh dear…. You really don't need to know these things now, Elliot. It isn't of any importance."

"Carol, this is my life!" Elliot exclaimed. "I think it's very important. Does someone plan on… hurting me?"

"We should go have lunch!" Carol said. "Come on, Dearie! We'll have Michael prepare something nice for you. How does that sound? Come on, then." She scurried across the room and squeezed through a little hole near the door. Elliot ran after her and opened the door, going into a wide hallway. The little gray mouse was already rushing down the hall, calling, "This way, Dearie!"

"Wait, Carol!" The mouse ran down the hall and turned left down another hall. Elliot ran after her. Elliot caught up and ran past the mouse and then sat in the middle of the hallway, using her arms to block Carol's path. "Carol… how do you expect me to live here when you're all hiding something so _big_ from me? How can I sleep knowing that someone here may want me dead?"

Carol sighed and lay flat on the floor, looking ashamed. "I'm sorry, Dearie. It's so hard to talk about these things…"

"Is it the beast? Does he want to hurt me?"

"No! Of course not! He wants to protect you!" Carol stiffened. "I shouldn't have told you that…"

"Protect me? Why? And from who?"

Carol twitched her nose as if she were about to say something but then she froze. She suddenly looked so cold and stiff, and Elliot felt it too. It was that same cold, squeezing feeling she had in the garden. Carol was shivering and Elliot was frozen in place so she couldn't help her. Then Carol's little body slumped forward and Elliot was released from the grip. They heard a quiet sigh that made the hairs on the back of Elliot's neck stand up.

"I've felt that before," Elliot murmured. "In the garden when I tried to touch one of the roses."

"Those are dangerous," Carol said, her voice grave. "Stay away from that garden." She stood up and shook herself. "Later I can show you another garden we have." Carol's voice was back to being kind and sweet.

"But Carol, what about…"

"Please, Dearie, don't ask," she said, a pleading tone in her voice. "There are some things we're not allowed to tell you. Now come along. You must be hungry."

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"You what?" Carol and Leo said in unison. Carol had left Elliot in the care of Michael and she found Leo scurrying in the walls as he tried to get to the attic. They found the beast sitting in bed with the mirror in his hands, no doubt watching Elliot.

"It issss the only way," the beast said, putting the mirror back down on the nightstand near Carol and Leo. They saw Elliot standing in the kitchen, smiling as Èlie flew in from a window, a flower in his beak. He dropped the flower near Cheri and puffed up his chest, looking proud. Then the image began to swirl and disappear until it was a simple mirror once again.

Leo snorted. "I don't believe that for a minute. How can you ignoring her for a whole year be the only way? When you do show your face she won't trust you one bit. She might even hate you for ignoring her for so long."

"I have thought of that," the beast said. "But it isss worth the risssk. If I ssstay around her, then sssshe will only die ssssooner."

"Don't you want this curse to be broken?" Leo asked, growing angrier.

"Of coursse I do! And I'll have a better chance at doing that in winter."

Leo huffed and then climbed down the nightstand then disappeared under the bed.

"Can't you please rethink this?" Carol asked him. "Are you sure she will accept you in winter? After you had ignored her? You have a year to wait… what if the mistress has gained all of her strength before then?"

"I don't think ssshe will."

"But it's possible."

The beast sighed. "Carol, I've thought thisss through. I don't want the witch to get ssstronger just because I am around Elliot." He sighed again, shaking his head. "Why don't you go ssshow her thosssse gardensss you ssspoke of?"

Carol watched the beast for a moment. He looked resigned and defeated. It hurt to see him like this, but she knew that there was no changing his mind. She climbed down the nightstand and went under the bed, finding the little hole she and Leo had come in from. She went in and crawled down a steep beam. She could hear Leo muttering up ahead. She went to a flat beam and ran across it. Leo was at the end of it, staring down at all the beams below them.

"Leo, don't be mad at him. He means well."

"But for who, Carol?" Leo snapped, turning around to face the smaller mouse. "I'm tired of living this life. For hundreds of years we have been like this, never aging or changing. We can't die and we can't escape this curse. The witch taunts us every night and tortures us in the day. I want to grow up, I want to live a normal life."

"I do too, Leo. But the master is right. He has a better chance at ending this curse in the winter."

Leo grumbled and scratched his ear. He was about to turn around and go down the beams when his ears perked up. "I have an idea! The beast is avoiding Elliot because he doesn't want to witch to gain her strength faster, right?"

"Yes…" Carol said, not liking where this was going. Leo had some interesting ideas over the years, but none of them turned out well.

Leo chuckled and then turned and climbed down the beam. "I'm going to need Stuart's help with this task! Farewell, Carol!" Carol chased after him, but Leo was too fast for her and soon, she lost him.

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Elliot didn't see Carol at all for the rest of the day. She wandered the house, exploring rooms she had never seen before. It really was huge. It was a labyrinth that Elliot kept getting lost in. She explored the yards in the evening and found Sye sitting in a large, beautiful garden. There were flowers everywhere, and a creek from the pond ran through it. There was a weeping willow near the creek and a large, smooth rock sat at the base of the tree. "It's the perfect place to read," she said to Sye who had been following her since she came into the garden.

"I've never cared much for reading," the dog replied. He continued to follow Elliot around the gardens until the sun began to set. Elliot climbed up a tree to get a better view of the horizon. She hauled herself up to the highest branch, straightened her skirt and poked her head above the canopy. Beyond all of the different yards that the beast had was a forest that stretched on for miles. The sky was pained with deep purples, pinks and rich blues as the sun set. "It's beautiful, Sye!" she yelled. She heard the dog give a little whine and then scamper off. "Sye? What's wrong?" She looked down but couldn't see the dog anywhere. She sighed and turned her attention back to the sky. She had always loved watching the sunset and sunrise. She and her father did it often, with a mug of hot cocoa and a blanket draped across their shoulders. They would sit on the roof of her father's house or drive to the coast just to watch the sun sail down towards the horizon. She missed those days where she and her father could enjoy simple things together. Watching movies all night, exploring their little college town together and enjoying hot days at the county fair. She missed all of it. "Let him be alright," she whispered to the darkening sky, even though she didn't believe someone was listening up there. It was still comforting to say the words.

By now stars dotted the sky and through some of the leaves she could see the pale moon. She was comfortable up there, leaning against the tree's limbs and staring at the sky. A cold breeze was sweeping by, though, and she was suddenly aware that she hadn't had dinner. She started to climb down the tree but froze when she heard footsteps approaching quickly. Her grip tightened on a branch and a twig fell down to the ground. The footsteps slowed as if the person was hesitant. "Who is there?" she heard a voice call. It was a soothing, familiar voice that made her relax. Her foot slipped and her grip on the branch loosened and she yelled as she was suddenly falling to the ground. She landed on top of someone and with a grunt they both fell to the ground.

Elliot groaned and she could hear someone else groaning as well. She quickly rolled off of the person who had caught her and her eyes widened. Lying in the grass was Oliver Mason Powell, wearing a deep blue jacket and black breeches. His hair was tied back, but messy from the fall and his face was a bright red.

"I'm sorry! I keep making you fall," she said while stifling her laughter.

"It's alright, milady," he said, dusting off his pants and standing up. He helped Elliot to her feet and then he looked down at the ground. He looked nervous, as if he was torn between fleeing and staying. She was about to ask if he was all right when he suddenly looked up at the tree with a smile on his face. "What were you doing up there?" he asked.

She looked up as well. "I was watching the sunset," she said.

"That's not all, is it?" he asked. The question startled her and she looked up into his eyes. They were searching hers, for answers or clues, she wasn't sure. She looked away and shook her head. "You had a strange look in your eyes," he explained. "As if you were remembering something. Does it make you sad?"

She shrugged. It was strange to have him look into her eyes and know so much. She didn't understand how he could do it, or why he would want to. "I was thinking of my father," she told him. "I miss him. We used to watch the sunset all the time."

Oliver frowned and then walked to the tree. "I'm sure he misses you as well. What else do you miss from the outside world?" He sat down in the grass, leaning against the tree.

She sat next to him, startled at his question yet again. He made it seem as if they were locked away, separate from everyone and everything. But in a way, they were. She thought about her house, the college, the strange lamp posts downtown and shook her head. She could live without all of that. It was very hard for her to become attached to a _place_. She was a wanderer. "Nothing, really. I only miss my father. We were always together. We loved to go skating, and to watch movies. We used to read to each other, as well. I was always trying to make him happy and proud. I don't think I had to try as hard as I did, though." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and a nervous laugh escaped her lips. "I'm sorry, I'm rambling." She was surprised that she had told him so much. But she felt at ease with him. He had a sense of calm around him and she could be open with him and not have to worry about any sort of negative consequences.

"Don't be sorry," he said. "It's been a long time since I had another… human to speak to. But I'm a listener, so you'll have to excuse me if you find I'm only asking questions."

"Then I'll have to ask you questions so the conversation is more balanced." He grinned and she asked, "What do you usually do here? Before I came here, that is."

"I wandered the halls, mostly, making sure no one came near the house. When I was sure it was safe, I would play my fiddle, read, or sit up in this very tree and stare up at the stars. This is my favorite spot out of all the gardens."

"It is beautiful," she said, looking down into the creek near their feet. "I've never seen a place so beautiful in the city."

"Do you miss your home?" he asked.

Elliot shook her head. "No. I love to travel. It's hard for me to get attached to one place. I settle down and then I'm itching to go someplace else."

"_Thorough flood, thorough fire, I do wander everywhere, swifter than the moon's sphere._"

Elliot looked over at Oliver, surprised. "I've heard that before, but I don't remember where..."

"It was in Shakespeare's A Midsummer's Night Dream. You've read it, then?"

"A long time ago. I used to love reading old plays and stories. I haven't really read anything in a long time, though. I've been busy with college and I suppose I've lost my interest in reading."

"Well… this house has a very large library if you ever wanted to rekindle that old interest." She looked up at him with a small smile on her face and he shrugged. "Just a thought."

"I like that idea. But first I think I have to get something to eat." They stood and she followed him through the garden and back into the house.

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A.N – Okay, so the interesting part that I was thinking of will have to wait until next chapter. Sorry!

Thank you all for the reviews, and thanks BelleEve for the helpful comments you left me! I'll try to update regularly, at least once every couple weeks. But I'm sorry you've forgotten the characters. I suppose it doesn't help that I keep throwing more at you, huh? Here's a little character guide so hopefully you can remember.

**Elliot Miller** – Main character. She's a wanderer who loves her father and she stays with the beast in her father's place. She isn't sure of what she wants in life, and she is still uncertain of who she is.

**Beast** – Another main character. He hates himself for what he has become, but he is kind and gentle under all those scales.

**The Mistress, or the Witch** – She controls the beast and is the one that cursed him and his household. Not a lot is known of her intentions so far in the story.

**Oliver Mason Powell** – A gentleman who watches the house at night to make sure no one comes by. He likes to play his fiddle and dance and has taken an interest in Elliot.

**Silas** – He was only mentioned once in the story so far. He is a friend of Oliver's and is a very twitchy fellow.

**Carol** – A sweet mouse who has befriended Elliot. She is chipper and cares for the beast as if he were her son.

**Leo** – Another mouse. He is quick to anger and enjoys teasing people now and then, but he isn't mean.

**Sye** – He's a dog that led Elliot to the house. He is quiet and very loyal, but not a lot is known about him.

**Roger Miller** – Elliot's father. He feels awful for what happened to Elliot and he wished he could have been more of a father to her. What he saw in the House of Rose drives him insane.

**Eric Dawson** – He's a player who insists Elliot is the one for him. He goes to great lengths to get her attention.

**James** – Eric's "friend" of sorts. James follows Eric around, even though Eric usually can't stand his company.

**Marly Miller** – Elliot's youngest sister. She was mentioned once or twice and might be mentioned again, but will not play a major role. She is rebellious, in case anyone is curious.

**Sammy Miller** – She's the middle sister of the Miller girls. She thinks she is above certain things and is now a model. She will not play a major role in the story.

**Jamie Miller** – Elliot's dead mother. She, obviously, will not play a major role in the story, but she may be mentioned now and again.

**Stuart** – He is a cat that lives in the House of Rose. So far he has only been mentioned twice. You'll meet him in the next chapter.

**Michael** – A gruff and calculating chef. He is a centaur.

**Arthur** – A bitter gorilla who works in the kitchen.

**Myra** – A loud chicken who also works in the kitchen.

**Èlie** – A French hawk who works in the kitchen. He is desperately in love with Cheri.

**Cheri** – A quiet quetzal. She is shy and doesn't know how to respond to Èlie's advances.

**Niles and Hugh** – Spider monkeys that work in the kitchen.

**Opal** – A silly goose who lives near the pond.

**Jonas** – A mallard who lives near the pond as well. He likes to joke around.

**Eleanor** – A swam who lives near the pond. She is calm and sophisticated. She, Jonas and Opal are triplets.

I believe that's everyone. Thanks again for all the reviews:D


	11. The Daring Mouse

A/N – I'm so sorry about the long wait! You have no idea how crappy my computer's been! I got a bug on it and we had to get rid of everything from my computer and start it over. I made copies of everything I had, so that's good, at least. It was a pain getting all the good stuff back on my computer and having it act normally again, but we did it! … And then I got another virus. That one is gone now and all the good stuff is on my computer and all the bad stuff is off of it. And then my computer just didn't want to work. And then the Internet died. When my computer _was _fine, I was super busy with school. Grr…. Well, my computer is good now and I'm not as busy with school. Yay! I apologize in advance for the relative shortness and types. I was in a rush to get this one out. Anyway, I hope everyone had a good Holiday and Spring break!

BelleEve: … I didn't notice that about the names before! I guess I like "El" names. XD When I finish I'll go through and change some of their names. Thanks!

Still don't own Beauty and the Beast.

Chapter Eleven

Elliot woke with a sore neck and back. She groaned and opened her eyes. The curtains that normally covered the large windows of the library were pulled back, letting in streams of light. She watched dust dancing in the beams before she slowly moved her limbs and sat up.

She still wore her clothes from the previous night. The skirt was dirty from climbing the tree and her shirt was rumpled from having slept curled up in a lounge chair all morning. She looked at the grandfather clock against the wall and was amazed to see that it was well after noon.

She almost felt bad, but then she remembered the events of last night and she smiled, leaning back in the chair. She felt a little giddy, even.

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Oliver was balancing two plates with sandwiches, cookies and a glass of milk on each of them as he led her down the hall away from the kitchen. "How many times do I have to tell you "I want to help" before you give me a plate?" Elliot asked, laughing as she watched him bend his knees and twist his body to keep the trays even.

"A million more times, at least!" he exclaimed. "Ah, here we are. Would you be so kind as to open the door?" Elliot stepped forward and opened the door. The house was a maze. Whenever she thought she had seen every hall, Oliver showed her a new one. Each hall had at least a dozen rooms, each one bigger and grander than the last.

The library was dark. The curtains were closed and not a single candle was lit. Oliver walked in, confident in his footing and Elliot stepped in, hesitant. She heard him set the plates down and rummage around in his pockets. He found a match and began to move about the room, lighting candles.

"Maybe we should come back when it's lighter out," she said as she watched him move. The candlelight sent flickering shadows across the floor and Oliver looked like a phantom.

"You forget, my lady, that I am never here when it is light out." He went to the far end of the wall and he was cloaked in shadows. She stepped farther into the room and moments later heard a screeching sound. She looked around, but couldn't see anything. Something bumped her shoulder and she yelped.

"Elliot! Are you all right?" Oliver called. The screeching stopped and he grabbed a candle and moved towards her. The light fell on a metal chandelier hanging from chains and swaying gently. "I didn't mean to scare you," Oliver said as he began lighting the candles on the chandelier.

Elliot nodded, rubbing her shoulder where the chandelier had hit her. When all of the candles were lit Oliver went back to the wall and began turning a wheel that raised the chandelier. All of the candles lit up the room and she could see all the bookshelves lining the walls. At the far end of the room were rows upon rows of bookshelves. They were all dusty and when she picked one up and opened it, the book creaked as if it hadn't been touched in years.

"I haven't visited this room in quite a while," Oliver said, sounding a little embarrassed. "And no one else in this household has either, I imagine. You go sit and eat and I'll find some books you may have interest in." He moved about the library and began searching through books, pulling a few out before disappearing down a row of books. Elliot sat down in a lounge chair and started eating her sandwich. The kitchen had been empty and it had been amusing watching Oliver rush about the kitchen trying to find all of the ingredients he needed. He didn't know where anything was and it made him flustered.

"I've found the complete works of Shakespeare as well as Edgar Allen Poe," Oliver said, coming back and putting a pile of books on the small table in front of her chair. "I also have the Grimm Brothers, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, George Eliot, Robert Louis Stevenson... among others…" He left the books there and went off to find more books for Elliot. She finished eating and picked up Grimm's Fairy Tales. She went to a random page and smiled when she started reading the story of Rapunzel. She finished the story and moved on to the next. It had been a long time since she had sat down to read anything. It was as if she had just found her old friends.

Oliver came back with more books and was about to tell Elliot all about them when he saw the look of excitement on her face. She had been pulled into the fairy tales and he didn't have the heart to yank her out. Instead, he sat down, ate, and then started reading something himself.

Elliot had finished more than half of the stories in the book when she realized how sore her back and neck were. She stood and stretched and nearly jumped when Oliver did the same. She had forgotten he was even there.

"The stories are interesting, aren't they?" Oliver asked.

Elliot nodded. She was starting to get tired and a part of her was still in the far away place reading often takes people. She had a small smile on her face and she must have looked like a fool, for Oliver started laughing.

"It really has been a while since you read, hasn't it?"

Elliot blushed. "Yes, it has been. I've been busy."

"With college?" Again, she nodded. "What were you studying?"

"Nothing, really," Elliot said with a snort. "I told you that I was always trying to make my father happy, right? Well, going to college was just a part of that. It wasn't what I wanted, but what he wanted for me. I thought it would make him happy. At first it did, in an odd sort of way, but he stopped showing as much interest and enthusiasm in my classes after a while. I think he was realizing just how miserable I was."

Oliver frowned. It looked as if he wanted to say something, but was afraid to say it. Eventually, he said, "It was cruel of him… to let you live the life he wanted."

Elliot glanced at him sharply, an angry retort ready. But then she realized how true that was. They had both set her up to live that life, even when she was a child. She wanted to please him, and he wanted one of his daughters to live the life he and his wife didn't have. Elliot was the only daughter willing to play along. But by the time the game stopped being fun, it was too late to turn back.

"You're right," she said. "But it wasn't just him that did it. I wanted him to be happy. I felt as if I had to make him happy."

"Is there anyone else you would miss?" Oliver asked at length.

"No," Elliot said. "I have two sisters, but we were never very close. … There is someone who might miss me, though. His name is Eric Dawson. He would never leave me alone."

"He doesn't know you're here, does he?"

"No! No… my father wouldn't tell anyone. No one would believe him if he did, anyway."

Oliver started making small piles of the books. They had been stacked high before and looked ready to topple. "This should be plenty of reading material for you," he said. He went about straightening the library and Elliot watched him. They had talked about her father, but he had never mentioned having a family. He was just as stuck here as she was. He probably slept most of the day and came here at night. Did he have any friends besides the residents here? Could they even be called his friends?

"Do you have a family?"

Oliver paused in what he was doing and Elliot regretted asking the question immediately. His shoulders were tense and when he started moving again it was as if he were forcing himself to move.

"I'm sorry. You don't have to say anything about it…"

"It's quite all right," Oliver said, turning around. He smiled at her, but she could tell that that too was forced. "The question was asked. No need to ignore it for another time.

"My family died a long… long time ago. Long before you, or even your father, were born." He sat back down and motioned for the confused Elliot to do the same.

"Before my father? How is that possible?" she asked, sitting down.

"I am not really a friend of the beast's. I work for him, yes, but it is not of my choosing. Like them, I am cursed to stay here at night. The days are a blur to me…." He trailed off, lost in thought. He seemed to be trying to see through the fog the day brought him. Elliot put her hand on his arm. She felt sympathy for him, even though she didn't quite understand his problem. He blinked, as if coming out of a trance and looked up at her, a sad smile on his face. "Elliot… I'm very, very old. I've seen so much of this world pass me by and I am stuck here. I have seen wars, heard of new and amazing inventions and heard such wild things coming from the city… and there is nothing I can do but sit and soak it all in."

"Is it lonely?"

"It can be. People come and go, and I see the creatures early in the morning and late at night."

"Oh…" she said slowly. "But I still don't understand how this is possible."

"Do you believe in magic?"

Elliot looked away. She knew that this had been coming. She had believed in magic as a child. Who hadn't? But it had been pushed out of her as she grew older. But she had managed to hang onto a shred of that belief that magic was real somewhere, that there was a happily ever after, the fairies did exist and that princes fell in love with scullery maids. "Yes," she said. "Well, a part of me does. It's more like I _hoped_ it was real. I wanted something amazing to believe in, something… unbelievable."

Oliver smiled, but it looked grim. "Well, I suppose you are in luck. Magic has always been real. It was stronger in the past, and humans could learn how to wield it. But even back then, magic was considered a bad thing. It was feared. Most things that are different from us are considered fearful. I don't believe people can control magic these days, but it is still around us. It's the little things. Meeting a stranger twice in the same day, that little push that keeps you going on rough days. That's magic."

Elliot tried not to look too disappointed. "So… coincidences are that product of magic?" Oliver nodded. "Oh."

"I'm sorry it's not as grand as you may have been hoping for," he said with a smile. "It used to be something amazing, but it has gone away. It may come back one day. But if it does then it may not be a good thing. Magic was primarily used for dark deeds. So… perhaps it was not so foolish of us to fear it. And it may be one of the reasons why it is nearly gone now."

"So magic is what's keeping you alive?"

"Yes. It is also what makes me forget what happens during the day, and what makes the creatures here what they are. They cannot remember anything of the night, just like I cannot remember the daytime. They don't remember going to sleep, and in the middle of the day, they can barely remember waking up at all. At least, that is what I am told in the brief time I am awake when they are."

"What were they before? Were they human like us?"

"I don't know if _I_ could be called a human. But I don't know. They may have been her creations…"

"Her? Are you talking about the mistress?" Elliot blurted out.

"How do you know of her?" Oliver said, jumping from his seat.

She shrunk back in her chair, startled. "The cooks mentioned her. And when I tried to get Carol to tell me… we felt this awful chill. The same one I felt when I tried to touch one of the roses." She looked up at Oliver, a frown on her face. "She did this, didn't she? She's keeping you alive and making you forget what happens during the day."

"Magic…" he said slowly, "was more like a curse. But yes. She is in control. And she is dangerous. We shouldn't even be speaking of her."

"Okay…" Oliver sat back down and they didn't speak for a few minutes. She was biting her lip and staring out the windows. Magic was real… the revelation didn't shock her as much as she thought it would. She just wished it were more glamorous. She looked back at Oliver. It had to be awful to live that life. He was trapped here to this house, and not even time could break the bonds.

She stood up suddenly, startling Oliver. "I'll help you!" she exclaimed, smiling. "I'll help you fix this. There has to be a way."

Oliver smiled sadly. "I'm sure there is, Elliot. But if you were going to help me, you would also have to help the beast. Could you do that?"

She sat back down and sighed. "I don't know…. Carol said that he wanted to protect me. But I don't know what to think of him anymore."

"All of the creatures in this house are connected. You cannot help me without helping them, and that includes the beast." Seeing the dejected look on her face, he added, "I appreciate the thought."

She smiled a little. "Well, enough of that. We have so many books to read!" She picked up one of the books he had given her to read and curled up in the chair. "Let's get crackin'!" Oliver chuckled and picked up a book of his own.

They sat there reading for hours. If a candle went out, Oliver would get up and relight it, but Elliot never noticed. She became absorbed in the words and stories she read. Oliver couldn't sit still as long as she could, and would walk around the library every now and then and watch Elliot. She made funny faces while reading. She would frown or smile and bite her lip in anticipation. He couldn't help but keep watching her and she didn't even notice. Eventually, he left the library and came back with his fiddle. He played a softer tune than the one he had been playing when she first ran into him. Elliot didn't notice.

She had been sitting there reading for most of the night. She had finished two books all ready. Her eyes and bottom were beginning to hurt. She shifted in her seat. Oliver saw and smiled and began to play a livelier tune. She turned around and saw him moving about the library, dancing like he had been in the ballroom. "I'm sorry. You must have gotten bored a long time ago."

"Not really. Watching you read was amusing." He smiled and Elliot blushed. He spun and continued to dance. She began to clap along to the beat of his feet and fiddle. Like Oliver had done to her, she watched him. It was hard not to. He seemed so free when he danced, limitless and happy. He came dancing back towards the sitting area and he put the fiddle on his chair and took Elliot's hands in his, pulling her up.

"What are you doing?" she asked, laughing. He held one hand high and put the other on her waist and led her off on a wild, dizzying dance. Elliot couldn't stop laughing. "There isn't any music!"

"We don't need it," he said, spinning her out and then back towards him. The dance was getting faster and faster, their feet beating the floor and her skirt whirling around her legs. Her face was red and she couldn't wipe the smile off her face. They were spinning and moving so fast, and the room around them was nothing but a blur. It felt as if they were flying. And sometimes, when their eyes locked and she saw that his were carefree and sparkling, it felt as if they weren't moving at all, and time had stopped around them. Then he would smile at her and she was sure the world had come to a stop just so they could dance. Perhaps _this_ was the little magic that Oliver has spoken of. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so light, unburdened by normal worries and fears of life.

He spun her once again, but her hand slipped from his and she kept on spinning, backing away from him until she fell into a lounge chair. They were both laughing and dizzy. "Are you all right?" Oliver asked, making his way towards her.

"I'm okay. That was…" She looked up at him and smiled. She couldn't find any word to describe the dance. From the look in his eyes, she knew that she didn't have to. "Thank you."

"You're thanking me? I should be apologizing. I've worn you out."

"No, I'm fine." She stood and wobbled a little then fell back into the chair in a fit of laughs. "I'm fine besides being very dizzy."

"Perhaps the next dance won't be so fast," he said, sitting down across from her. "But not tonight. You're tired."

"Am not." She stifled a yawn.

Oliver smiled and got up, walking to the other chair to get his fiddle. He started playing a soft, slow song that made Elliot's eyes droop.

"I told you… I'm…" she yawned. "I'm _not_ tired."

"Of course you aren't. You just _felt_ like yawning."

"Indeed."

She stared at him as he continued to play and then she laughed. "Okay, so I am a little tired. No thanks to you."

"Then go off to bed."

She shook her head. "I want to wake up in here." The room was calm and suited her more than her bedroom did. She felt at ease here. She curled herself up into the chair, getting more comfortable.

Oliver finished the song and bowed. "If you insist." He set the fiddle down and then kissed Elliot's cheek. She smiled and waved him off. "Good night, Elliot."

"Good night, Oliver." She heard him taking the dishes and blowing out candles and then he was gone.

---------

Her whole body was sore but she didn't regret staying. The light coming in made the library look beautiful. The shelves shone and all of the books, despite their age, looked new and begging to be read. Oliver's fiddle was still there. Unlike the books, it was old and worn. It had a certain charm, though, like the old-new books. She looked around at the open space where they had danced and smiled. She felt like a giddy schoolgirl after a first date.

"Ahh, you're finally awake!"

Elliot snapped out of her daze and saw Carol coming towards her. "Carol!" She stood and scooped the little mouse up and spun around. "I had the most amazing night! Magic is real! Of course it is. How else could a mouse be talking to me now if it wasn't? Oh, and the dancing…"

Carol was chuckling, though she was squirming a little in Elliot's hands. The woman set her down in the lounge chair she had slept in. "I don't know what you're talking about, dearie, but we were all worried about you. It took us ages to find you and then you wouldn't wake up. Michael's breakfast is cold. He can make you some soup, though. How does French onion sound?"

"And the beast?" Elliot asked, kneeling down so she was face to face with the mouse. She remembered Oliver's words last night. She couldn't help Oliver without helping the beast. "Was he worried?"

Carol looked skeptical. "Why do you want to know?"

Elliot shrugged. "I don't want to worry him…"

Carol didn't believe her, but she said, "I haven't seen him today. He hasn't left his room."

"Oh…. Well, all right then. I'll take some soup." She picked up Carol and set her on her shoulder. The mouse was flustered, but wouldn't complain. The girl was finally happy, after all.

--------

The wind pushed at Leo, threatening to toss him off the ledge he clung to. His teeth were chattering and his whiskers quivering in fear. He didn't dare look down.

He was on the roof of the House of Rose, looking for Stuart. A cat! A roof, high winds… a cat…. Leo knew he was being foolish. Even if they were cursed and had once been human, they all couldn't help but act like their animals. So, naturally, Stuart didn't get along with the mice of the building.

He saw him perched on the ledge up ahead. Mustering up all of his courage, Leo scurried forward.

"Yoo-hoo! Stuart!" he called.

The cat was facing the lawn, his ears up and alert, his lean body taut. His black and white fur shone in the sunlight. He flicked his tail in annoyance.

"Can I have a word with you?"

Stuart turned to look at him, his green eyes calculating and bored. "Must you?"

"Yes, I must."

Stuart fidgeted. He wanted nothing more than to chase the little mouse right off the roof. "Make it quick."

"The master refuses to see Elliot."

"What does this have to do with me?"

"Everything!" Leo said. "Don't you want to be free of this curse?"

Stuart's ear twitched and he turned to look back at the lawn. "And what makes you think Elliot will be the one to break the curse?"

"She's our last chance. If she doesn't break it… then we're doomed to stay like this forever."

The cat rolled his shoulders as if to shrug and stood up, raising his body in a stretch. He then turned and began to walk towards Leo. The mouse squeaked and tried to cower away, but the cat merely stepped over him.

"I like this body, actually."

Frustrated, Leo said, "That's not true! You would give anything to be human, just like the rest of us!"

The cat whirled around and swiped his paw at Leo. The mouse squeaked loudly as he was rolled to the roof before Stuart pressed his paw into his chest, his claws extending slowly towards his throat.

"You are just jealous that you were turned into a mouse while I was transformed into a cat. I can go anywhere I like, I have no worries and I can torment you whenever I wish. Why would I want to change this?"

"You would make all of us suffer just so you can stay like that?" Leo asked, trying to lean away from the claws.

Stuart pressed down harder, choking Leo. "I've been into the real world, Leo. It's much, much different than what we left behind. We may have a little electricity here, but it does nothing to prepare us for what's really out there. We're better off here as animals, then out there as humans." He removed his paw and began to saunter off.

Without Stuart holding him down, Leo began to slide down the roof. He dug his nails into the narrow railing before he could fall down. "Don't we deserve to figure that out for ourselves?" he asked, beginning to chase after Stuart. "We have lived far too long, and yet some of us are barely children. We just want normal lives, we want to grow old and die someday. This is no way to live."

Stuart hissed, annoyed, but had had stopped moving. He sat down and flicked his tail in Leo's face. "What would you have me do? The master won't listen to me."

"He doesn't have to. The reason he won't speak to Elliot is because the witch grows stronger when he is near her." He pause and Stuart's ears swiveled back a little. Seeing that he had the cat's attention, he went on, "You said yourself that you went into the real world. And you've always been able to trick people into doing what you want, whether you were a cat or a man…"

Stuart turned around and sat back down. He licked his paw. "I see where you're going with this." Leo held his breath. He could tell that Stuart had something more to say, but, being a cat, he took his sweet time in saying it. Finally, he said, "I think it will work. But tell no one that I helped. If the master is angry, it will be you who faces his wrath."

Leo nodded. "I expected you would say that."

Stuart got up and turned back around, heading towards the edge of the roof. "I'll start tonight, and I'll bring as many as I can." He leaped off of the roof and Leo ran forward and looked over the edge. The cat was on the landing below and was running down the ledge. He disappeared into a window. Sighing in relief, Leo began his slow trek down.


	12. The Two Fools

Disclaimer: I do not own the story "Beauty and the Beast". The characters in this particular retelling, however, are all my creation. So no using them without my consent. Thanks!

Chapter Twelve

He clicked his claws on the armrest. The claws on his toes were tapping on the wooden floor. When he got bored with tapping, he began to scratch at the wood on the floor and on the poor chair upon which he sat. If someone called to him from outside his door, he would order him or her to leave. He had blocked up the holes Carol and Leo usually came in from. He was completely alone. It wasn't the first time, but he had never felt so miserable. Before, he had known nothing better. But now… Elliot was here. Here in this very house! And there was nothing he could do about it. He felt a wave of self-pity wash over him and he stood up, shaking his head. He had spent nearly all of his cursed life feeling sorry for himself and being depressed. It brought everyone else down. Ever since Elliot came, things have been changing. He couldn't remember the last time Carol was so chipper. And this morning he watched everyone in the kitchen laughing and joking as they made breakfast. The birds argued playfully over what they should make Elliot, pancakes or omelets, and eventually Arthur chased them about the kitchen, clanging pots at them. The triplets at the pond were also having fun, and, from the way she greeted Carol, Elliot had enjoyed herself as well.

The beast didn't understand. He had never seen her so happy here. What had changed? He had asked Oliver if anything had happened during the night. "Nothing," he had replied. "As usually happens."

The man was hiding something. The beast had tried to find Silas, Oliver's sometime companion, but it was no use. For the first time, the beast began to wonder where exactly they went during the day.

He paced the length of his room. His stomach growled with hunger, but he didn't dare leave his room. What if he ran into Elliot? He knew that if he did, there would be nothing stopping him from staying by her side. He would try to win her over in his own clumsy way, and he would be damning her in the process.

"What would be the point?" he asked himself. "Sssshe could never love a reptile, even if I were to be asss charming asss Oliver." He had a horrible feeling in his heart that Elliot had been spending time with Oliver. If that were the case, then it wouldn't surprise him if she began to fall for him. He had known Oliver for many years, and, even though their meetings were always brief, he knew Oliver to be a confident, charming man. He couldn't blame Elliot if she were falling for him. The women that had come before Elliot had. But… what if Oliver were charming her on purpose? What if he was wooing her while the beast slept? He clenched his paws into fists. Images of Oliver bringing Elliot flowers and chocolates came to mind and wouldn't leave. Had he given her flowers? Had they danced? Had he _kissed_ her?

"Enough!" he told himself. He knew they were only the thoughts of a desperate, paranoid monster. Oliver knew that Elliot was their last chance. He wouldn't betray him. … Would he? He shook his head again. "Of courssssse not." He sighed and fell back onto his bed. He was hungry and tired from fighting off depression. And he wanted to see Elliot. He closed his eyes. He could picture her, but it wasn't enough. With a frustrated growl, he rolled out of bed and snatched his mirror from the nightstand. He thought of Elliot, and soon, his ugly image began to mould into one of Elliot sitting at the table. She was blowing on soup and laughing at something Carol said. She was… glowing. He sighed and put the mirror face down on the nightstand. She didn't need him.

He began to pace again and with thoughts of doubt concerning Oliver, and the knowledge that Elliot was happy without him, he lost his battle and fell into an ocean of self-pity. He moaned and fell back onto his bed.

--------

Carol came out of the small hole in the wall and sighed. After lunch, Elliot wished to go back to the library and that's where she was now. She peered into the hole she had come out through and saw Elliot holding a book to her chest and moving about the room as if dancing, humming a tune. Once again, the mouse sighed and rushed off down the hall. Elliot was happy, but something was horribly wrong. When she asked what had happened last night to put her in such a good mood, Elliot had just smiled and gave Carol a vague answer about books and fiddles.

She had tried to get into the master's room earlier that morning but had given up when she realized that he did not want company. But this was urgent. She went to his door and instead of calling to him, she climbed up the doorframe and pushed into a small hole that was there. The master had never noticed it. Leo had made it for emergencies. She squeezed through, coughing as a dust bunny got in her way. It had been a long time since they came into his room this way. Once on the other side, she climbed down the doorframe and walked to the master's bed. "Sir?" she asked. He was lying in bed, completely still. "Are you all right?"

"How did you get in?"

"I have my ways. Now tell me what's the matter. We're worried about you."

He snorted. "Of coursssse you were."

Carol narrowed her eyes. Her patience with him was running thin. She climbed up the bedpost and sat up on his foot, glaring down at him. "I'm getting tired of this! The perfect girl is here and instead of sweeping her off her feet, you're lying in bed moping!"

"I've tried _not _to be thisss way! It'sss no use! And if I go anywhere near Elliot, the _misssstressss_ will get ssstronger and then ssshe'll kill her!"

"And if you do nothing then she'll get stronger anyway and she'll kill all of us!"

"If we're damned either way then let me do nothing. It'ssss what I'm good at."

She stamped a paw on his foot. "I won't have you throw away my life! Get up and go speak to that girl!"

"And condemn her to death quicker than needssss be?"

Carol sighed. There was no getting through to him. "Are all lizards as thick headed as you?" The beast growled and rolled over onto his side. Carol jumped off of his foot. "Sir… I'm sorry." She went up to him and lay her chin on one of his fingers. "I've always loved you…"

"It'ssss not _your_ love I need!" the beast roared, getting up and jumping off the bed suddenly. "What doessss your love do for me? Doesss it break thissss curssse? Doesss it make anyone'ssss life better? Your love issss worthlessss to me!"

She stood there on the bed, staring at him with wide eyes. Her whiskers were quivering and her eyes looked watery. The beast's shoulders sagged and he stepped forward slowly. "Carol…. I…"

She shook her head. "No! I won't hear it!" She climbed down from his bed and ran to the door. When she was at the top of the doorframe, she turned around. "You've ruined everyone here! Elliot is falling in love! And by the looks of it, it's not with you!" She went through the hole and climbed down the doorframe. On her way down the stairs, she ran into Leo. His black fur was dirty and clumpy and he looked tired. Carol attacked him nevertheless. "And where were _you_ this morning?" she said, backing him up into a corner. "First you disappear and then Elliot disappears…!"

"Elliot is gone?"

"I found her eventually. But that doesn't make up for you leaving me without a word and not showing up until late the next day!"

"Carol…" Leo started slowly. "Are you crying?"

"No! _Mice_ don't cry! _Girls_ might, _women_ might, but mice don't!" Leo looked confused. "Hmmph! Forget it!" She ran down the stairs and Leo ran after her.

--------

The beast listened to their footsteps and groaned. Carol was right. He rolled his eyes. She usually was. And he felt like a horrible, ungrateful fool for what he had said to her. _'She'll only get angrier if I try to find her now,'_ he thought. He decided to let her cool off before he apologized properly. And until then… He sat back down on his bed. He was still convinced that avoiding Elliot was the best choice he had. He didn't like it at all, but he wanted to at least give her a little bit more time. If he tried to woo her, the mistress would surely gain enough power to kill her before Elliot even began to appreciate his presence. She stood again and went to his desk. "What if I wrote her letterssss? We can communicate without having to be near each other…" He sighed. "No… that won't do at all." He sat as his desk and tried to think of different ways to gain Elliot's affections without having to be near her for too long. Every idea that came to him was absurd, though. His stomach was growling too much for him to think properly. He checked his mirror and saw Elliot reading in the library and Carol and Leo hidden somewhere in the walls. Satisfied that he had a clear path, he left his room and went down the stairs to the kitchen.

Everything was quiet once he went into the kitchen. The birds shuffled about and tried to find something to do. "Would you like something, sir?" Michael asked him. In the corner, Arthur was peeling potatoes.

"I am hungry…" he said. "Ham sounds good."

Michael nodded and took a large ham steak out of the refrigerator. The other animals prepared the pan and the spider monkeys, Niles and Hugh, poured him a glass of wine. The beast wasn't sure what he was going to do with it. He couldn't remember the last time he had wine and he wasn't designed to hold, or drink out of, a glass. He nodded to them anyway and they stood in awkward silence as Michael fried the ham. It was as if the beast's presence had dampened the mood in the room. _'Is this what happens all the time? Are they all depressed when I am around?'_ They knew him well enough, so he knew that their silence wasn't due to having nothing to talk about. _'I guess everyone has shared Carol's opinion of me.'_

"Sssso…" the beast started uncertainly. "How have you all been?"

Everyone, the birds, the monkey, and even Michael, looked up from what they were doing and stared at him. The beast looked down at his feet and then took the wine glass in his hands. They were still staring at him. He felt hot and uncomfortable all of a sudden.

"We've been… good," said Myra the chicken.

"Oh…. Good. That'ssss… good." He began to turn the glass around in his paws. It was awkward holding it. He had to press his paws on either side of it so he wouldn't drop it, and turning it was a challenge. But he needed something to keep his mind off of the eyes staring at him. Michael eventually turned away from him and turned the ham steak over. It was sizzling and the smell filled the kitchen.

"You?" Niles asked. The beast looked up, his paws, and the glass in them, still. "How have you been?" the monkey asked.

"Oh. …. I've been…" He looked up and he could tell that Niles was all ready bored with him. He had asked only to be polite and he did not want to be pulled into a conversation about the beast's inner demons. "Good. I've been good…"

Niles nodded and they all went back to what they were doing. Niles and Hugh were playing a game of cards, Cheri and Élie were whispering up on one of the cabinets in the corner of the kitchen and Myra plucked at the potato peelings around Arthur's feet. The beast began to turn the glass around in his paws again. In a few minutes his food was ready and Michael put the steak on a plate and handed it to him. "Thank you," he said and took the food into the dining room, eager to get away.

It had never occurred to him how little he really knew his servants. He had to have known them once, before they were cursed, but he had been growing horribly detached over the years. Carol and Leo were his only companions now. Carol stayed with him only because motherly obligation forced her to, and Leo endured his company because Carol did. He sighed and tore at the meat with his claws and fangs. When he had finished eating, he left the kitchen and wandered the building. When he found that he had passed Elliot's room and the library five times, he went outside. He went from yard to yard, something he hadn't done in a long time. The triplets were surprised to see him, and were tripping over themselves to get in an orderly line and bow when he passed. "There'sss really no need…" he started, but at hearing his voice the birds all jumped and ran amuck, stumbling over themselves to get away, thinking they had done something wrong. He sighed and went into one of the gardens. It was much larger than the one the mistress took claim over, and had a wide variety of flowers. He felt the witch stir within him when she approached the roses. He tried to keep his mind blocked from her, but she was stronger than him.

"You foolish little lizard," he heard her within his mind, the voice making him cringe. "You think flowers will win her over?"

'_It's better than nothing,'_ he thought as he clipped the roses with his claws. There were some in full bloom, and some that were just beginning to blossom and he included both in his bouquet. They were beautiful, but not as beautiful as the mistress' roses. The witch laughed and then was gone, slipping into that stage between sleeping and being awake. The beast sighed in relief and took his roses back inside. The closest door led into an old, crowded bedroom. He had gotten into the habit of putting everything he didn't want into this room. There were mirrors, picture albums, diaries, embroidered pillows, old furniture…. If it reminded him of the life he had once and could not quite remember, then it ended up in this room. He dug through the drawers of a desk and found a large square of white cloth. He shook the dust from it and wrapped it around the roses stems and then tied it off. It seemed to be missing something, though. With a sigh, he realized that all gifts needed something personal. This was just a bunch of flowers in an old cloth. He had nothing in his room that would be suitable, so he looked in this room. There were old dolls, silly little paintings that looked as if they were made by children, books filled with drawings and boxes of beautiful dresses. And nothing he could give to Elliot. Everything was either too silly or too flamboyant for her. He came across a jewelry box and began to go through it. He felt that his paws were too large and too sharp to be going through anything as delicate as jewelry. He found a necklace that he would have overlooked if it had not come with the mental image of a woman smiling at him and hiding the necklace under her dress. The witch stirred again, but this time she was confused.

"You remember your mother?"

The beast looked at the necklace. The cord was thick and waxy and had two knots on it. Between those two knots was another thick, waxy cord. He pulled on the knots, and as the cord between them grew longer, the other cord grew shorter. He held the main cord and pulled on one knot. The cord he held got longer and the cord between the knots buckled and got shorter. He pulled the knots until the cord was no longer buckled and the whole cord was large enough to slip over someone's head. A pewter pendant hung from the cord and engraved on it was a rune symbol that looked like a wide "V" that had been turned on its side. He believed that it meant fire. He turned the necklace in his hand and smiled. It was perfect. _'I guess I do remember her…'_

The witch snorted. "Flowers and a necklace that belonged to a dead woman won't win her over.

The beast ignored her and put the necklace into a fold of the fabric, hidden from view. He left the room and walked through the halls, making his way towards Elliot's room. He heard the witch grumble in him and then continue to sleep.

--------

"What are we doing here? We know she's not in the city."

Eric rolled his eyes. "Just get ready to drive. And don't you even think of leaving me behind. Understand?" James nodded slowly. "Good." Eric Dawson got out of the car and approached the house. It was small and the yard well kept. He knocked on the door. "Elliot?" he called loudly. "Are you home?" He tried the doorknob and was surprised to find the door unlocked. Everything looked fine inside. She had been gone for nearly four days with her front door unlocked and no one had stolen anything. "Must be a miracle," he said. He shut and locked the door behind him and then searched everything. He went through all of her papers, tore the furniture apart and emptied drawer contents onto the floor. He was a man obsessed. He listened to the messages on her answering machine, looked through her address book and planner, but there was nothing. Not a clue as to where she would have gone. It was as if she had vanished into thin air. In an act of desperation, he turned on her computer. In a few minutes it was up and running. He checked all of her word documents and then went on the Internet to try and check her e-mail. He couldn't even guess as to what her password would be, though, so instead he went to see her history. He smiled at what he saw. The two most recent websites interested him the most. She had visited them five days ago. One was a website to a small bed and breakfast in New York. Another was a map from JFK International Airport to a place called The Barrel Bar in New York City. He smiled and printed the map and then wrote the address of the bed and breakfast on the back of his new map. On his way out the door he passed a picture of Elliot and her father hanging on a wall. He paused, took the picture and went out the door.

"Well?" James asked as Eric got in. Eric motioned for him to drive as he stared down at the picture in his hands. He took it out of its frame and tossed the frame and glass into the backseat. "You went to her house for a picture of her?"

"Don't be so stupid! I know where she went now. If I can get there fast enough then I might be able to find someone who saw her and can tell me where she went from there."

"Oh." James continued driving. "So… you're going to New York?"

"That's where Elliot is."

"Oh." He paused and then added, "I can't afford a ticket to New York."

Eric groaned and hit his head on the window. "Better for me, then, isn't it?" He couldn't wait to get away from this moron.

"What about your grades?"

"I don't give a shit about my grades, James! All that matters now is Elliot! I'm going to get her back here no matter what it takes."

--------

When Elliot wasn't reading, she napped. And upon waking, she would stretch, find a new, comfortable position, and continue reading. This went on for hours. She hadn't seen or heard anyone since Carol left her. She eventually put her book down and stretched. It was nearly five, and the sun would be setting in a couple of hours. She smiled. She didn't have that long to wait, now. She left the library and went towards her room. She had to take a bath and change. She got lost a few times, though, so it took a while for her to find her bedroom. She wouldn't have known it was hers at all if it wasn't the only open door she had seen. She frowned and went towards the door slowly and peered around the doorframe. She saw the beast in there, placing a bouquet of roses on her bed. He stiffened and stood up straight, as if sensing her presence. His back was to her, so she couldn't see the expression in his eyes. His face was horribly grotesque, but she remembered that his eyes had been easy to read. She pressed her back against the wall and bit her lip. She wasn't as scared of him as she was before, but she still felt a little anger towards him for what he had done to her father. But after learning a little bit about the curse, she wondered if he had a reason for doing the things he did. Was it that woman? Did she make the beast act so cruel? _'My father wanted a rose… and when I tried to touch one, she punished me. Everyone says that they are dangerous….'_ She remembered the look in his eyes when she had asked why he had brought her here, the day she met him. The look in his eyes was soft, sad and… caring. Her eyes widened and she covered her mouth with her hand to stifle her gasp. It really wasn't his fault. None of it was. She smiled and wanted to laugh out loud. The beast hadn't done anything bad. He didn't want to keep her prisoner; he didn't want to lock up her father. Everything bad that she thought he had done was really done by the woman, the mistress. At least, she hoped the woman did it all.

She went into her room. The beast was rearranging the flowers, trying to center them on the bed. He knew she was there. His back was stiff and his head was turned slightly towards her. The thin flaps of greenish skin where his ears should be were up. "Hello," she said.

-------

The beast's heart was pounding. As soon as he felt the witch wake up in him, he knew that Elliot was near. He cursed himself for not bringing the mirror with him. He had to avoid her at all costs. She was outside, probably blocking the only exit. He tried to busy himself with rearranging the flowers. How embarrassing! He didn't want to be caught giving her the flowers. He wanted her to stumble upon them and be pleasantly surprised.

"Your embarrassment should be the least of your worries, my dear pet."

"Hello," Elliot said.

He sighed and turned around. She was a mess, her clothes dirty and rumpled and her hair in mad disarray. But he still thought that she looked lovely. And she was smiling at him! His heart beat even faster. "I'm sss…"

She took a step forward and shook her head. "Don't say you're sorry." She looked at the flowers and her smile returned. "You don't have anything to be sorry for, do you?"

He felt as if she wasn't talking about the roses, but something much bigger. She looked at him and he saw an understanding in her eyes that told him that she knew he wasn't bad.

"I'm beginning to understand this curse a little bit better," she said, moving towards the bed. The beast couldn't take his eyes off of her. The way she moved, her voice… she put a new kind of spell on him and he was trapped. "Did you write the letter I received?" she asked. "Did you want to lock up my father? … Did you really want to keep me here?" The beast tried to look away. The witch in him wanted him to as well, but Elliot's spell was stronger than the witch's.

"Get out!" the witch was telling him. "Growl at her, hit her, bite her! Anything, you stupid newt!" He felt her will pushing at his own. But he could never hurt Elliot. He kept his feet planted on the ground and felt the witch push harder. Everything in him hurt, his head, his heart. It was getting hard to breath.

"You saved me from the forest," Elliot went on, staring at the roses. She sat on the bed and glanced over at the beast. "Carol told me that you wanted to protect me. The mistress… she's the one who wants to hurt me, not you. Am I right?"

This was torture. Elliot kept him there, her words soothing him, and the witch did everything she could to make him hurt her. He took a step closer and then stopped, gripping the bedpost. Elliot frowned and stood up. "Are you all right?"

"I…" he choked out. He adored Elliot! She looked worried for him, a monster! He found himself laughing and the puzzled look on Elliot's face deepened. "Elliot…" he said, fighting off the witch. "I have never met a girl assss quick asss you are."

"So I'm right? About all of it?"

The witch made his blood run cold and his bones stiffen, but he managed to nod his head once. Elliot sagged in relief and a wide smile lit up her face. If only she could understand that she wasn't safe yet! With each second spent with her the witch grew stronger. It was getting harder to refuse the witch's orders.

"I'm… I'm glad to know that. I feel so relieved!" She looked over at him and saw that his hands were shaking. She stood up and made to move towards him, but then thought better of it and took a couple steps back. "What's wrong?"

The bedpost broke in his grip and Elliot yelped and jumped back. "You are ssstill not sssafe around me," the beast said. "Thank you… but you have to ssstay away from me. I do not want to hurt you…" With that he ran out of her room and down the hall. Elliot chased after him, but the beast was faster. He lost her in the maze of halls and when he was sure that Elliot was not longer following him, he sighed in relief and leaned against the wall.

"You fool!" The beast cried out and clutched his heart. The witch was squeezing it tightly and twisting it. "She knows! Why didn't you rip her throat out? Why didn't you shut her up?"

'_She's perfect…'_

The grip on his heart tightened and he fell to his knees. The pain was ripping him apart. "I hate to admit it," the witch went on. "But you're right. She is just what I need." The beast stiffened and shook his head.

'_No! Anyone but her…'_

"You just said she was perfect! There may be other girls _like_ her, but she has the perfect mix of strength, wit and curiosity that I need. And tomorrow you will spend every waking minute with her!" The pain grew sharper and his claws dug into the carpet as he fought back a scream. "In a few days I'll be ready. I have been waiting for this for so long…. My powers are returning and when Elliot is disposed of, I will no longer need you. I will be free again…"

The beast growled. "I won't hurt her…" he said aloud.

Laughing, the witch said, "Pet… you don't have a choice!"

--------

The sun had set and Oliver was dancing about the gardens, humming a tune. Silas followed him, the poor fellow twitching and yelping at every noise.

"Oliver, I really must protest!" he called as Oliver made his way to one of the gardens. "What will the beast think?" Oliver ignored him and picked the most beautiful flowers he could find. "You're supposed to be keeping watch."

"There's nothing to watch!" Oliver said as he picked the last flower. There were a number of different flowers in the bouquet, all the colors complimenting each other. He took the ribbon from his hair, letting it fall to his shoulders, and then tied the ribbon around the flowers.

"She's their last chance…"

"Silas… why can't you understand?" Oliver asked, turning to his friend. "I've never felt this way about anyone before!" He picked a carnation and put it in the button hole of Silas' breast pocket. He went about dancing and humming, ignoring Silas.

"But you're betraying the beast," Silas said. An owl hooted and the man jumped and yelped. "You know how the curse works. She falls in love with the beast, the beast falls in love with her and the curse is broken! But how can she fall in love with him if you're wooing her so? She'll fall in love with you in minutes! They've never been able to resist your charm."

"You make it sound as if I'm taking advantage of her," Oliver said.

"Aren't you? She's scared, confused, lost… and you come in with all the answers, a shoulder to lean on…"

"That's sick, Silas! I did not plan this. I wanted to avoid her if I could but… she's the one who's charming me. And I can't just let her slip away."

Silas followed him back inside. "This is wrong, and you know it," he said.

They reached the library and Oliver looked down at himself. He was wearing a fine suit, the jacket fitting him perfectly. The shirt he wore under it was a dark, dark blue, matching his eyes. "How do I look?" he asked.

"Like a gentleman," Silas said with a sigh.

"Don't worry, Silas. Everything will turn out just fine." He patted the man on the shoulder and went into the library. "Elliot?" he called, stepping into the room. The curtains were open, letting in the moon's light. Her chair was empty, but her books were still scattered about. "Elliot?" he called again.

Outside, Silas snorted. "Everything will turn out all right?"

Oliver glared at him as he rushed out of the library. "She must be in her room…" He ran down the halls and stopped once he reached the room. He smoothed his hair and straightened his jacket and knocked on the door. "Elliot?" There was no answer. Behind him, Silas was laughing. Oliver opened the door and stepped inside. There was light coming from under the bathroom door. He knocked on it gently. "Are you in there?"

He heard splashing and scrambling. "Oliver!" Elliot said and there was more scrambling about. "Don't come in!"

"I wasn't planning on it," he said with a laugh. "Do you mind if I wait out here for you?"

"No, no. Make yourself comfortable," she said. He shooed Silas away and closed the door. With Silas gone, he sat down on the bed and looked around the room. She had lit the lanterns on the wall and some candles on her nightstand were lit. He could see why she wanted to stay in the library. There was nothing personal about the room. Except…. He frowned and stood, leaving his flowers on the bed and walking towards the desk. There was a bouquet of roses there, wrapped up white cloth. He frowned and picked them up. Something fell out and landed on his foot. He looked down and picked up the necklace.

Elliot came out of the bathroom drying her short hair. "Hello," she said. She saw something in his hands and asked, "What is that?"

Oliver shrugged and handed it to her. "It was with the roses."

She smiled. "It must be part of the gift." She ran her finger along the symbol. "I wonder what it means…" She put the necklace on and tightened it, the pendant near her throat. "The beast came and gave these to me," she said.

Oliver nodded, feeling foolish for bringing her flowers. Silas was right. He couldn't interfere any more. He tried to hide his flowers but Elliot saw them on the bed and her grin widened. "You brought me flowers, too!" She picked them up and brought them to her face, smelling them. "They're wonderful… but I can't shake the feeling that you all did something wrong and are scared to tell me."

"No! Nothing's wrong…" Elliot was laughing and Oliver relaxed. "I just thought you would like them."

"I do," she said and then hugged him. Oliver's eyes widened and he slowly wrapped his arms around her. It was going to be hard to ignore his growing feelings for her, especially if she kept this up. Her smell and her touch were intoxicating. She pulled away and put the flowers on her desk.

"So you're not afraid of him anymore?" Oliver asked.

"Well… I am a little scared of him, to be honest. But not as much as I used to be. And I'm not angry with him. He never meant any harm… and there's something almost _sweet _about him, if you can believe that."

"I believe it," he said slowly. He took a step back, heading to the door. "I have some work to do," he lied. "You should get some sleep."

She looked disappointed that he was leaving, which made Oliver feel even worse. _'I should never have danced with her. She isn't for me.'_ She nodded. "All right, but before you go I have a question. Could you send a letter for me? I want my father to know that I'm all right here, that I'll be okay. He must be worried sick."

"I'll send the letter. When it's ready, just leave it in the library. There should be paper and a pen in the desk drawer." He bowed to her. "Good night, Elliot," he said as he left.

--------

Elliot found the paper and pen and also found that she didn't know what to write. So much had happened all ready. What was she allowed to share? Would he even believe some of the things that had happened to her? In the end, she decided not to tell him what she knew of the curse or the mistress. She kept her letter as short and vague as possible, even though she wanted to write pages and pages of what had happened. It was better that he didn't know everything. Even if she told him of how she discovered that the beast wasn't bad, he probably wouldn't believe it. She even went as far as to tell a few little white lies, but only because she didn't want him to worry. She wrote:

_Daddy,_

_You must be worried about me. But you don't have anything to worry about. I am not locked up in the cell, or treated badly. I was given a room, and I have anything I could ask for. _

_I tried to escape once. But the woods around this house are more terrifying than anything that could be found in here. And the beast saved me. He isn't bad, Daddy. I hope you can accept that he never meant any harm. There is so much magic and mystery in this house… and the beast is a part of that magic. I can feel it! _

_I have made friends in this house. There's Carol, who is becoming more and more like a mother to me, and Oliver, who showed me the most the most wonderful library I've ever seen. With their help, I'm learning more things about myself. I think I may learn more here than I could learn in college! And of course there is the beast. Only today did I stop fearing him so much. It may take a while for me to get used to him, but I can tell that he has a kind heart. _

_I don't expect you to believe me straight away, just please understand that I am safe and happy here. I love you very much. You were always wonderful and always there for me. Thank you for that. I miss you very much and I hope to see you soon!_

_Your loving daughter,_

_Ellie_

She put her father's name and address on an envelope, slipped the letter in and then tried to lick it closed. It was very old fashioned, though; not at all designed like modern envelopes. She found a seal and wax in the drawer and melted the wax over the envelope. She stamped it, blew on it to cool it off and then took the letter to the library. She hoped to find Oliver there, but it was empty. She sighed and after putting the letter on the table she went back to her room. He had acted so strange tonight. He was dressed nice and gave her flowers and then… he just left. She had been waiting all day for him. She had wanted to talk about the books she had read and perhaps danced some more. She groaned, pushed him from her mind and went to sleep.

A.N. – Thank you all for your reviews!! XD They're all awesome! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I edited the last one but if you look at the A.N. at top you'll find a typo. Instead of "typos" I wrote "types". Lol! So I'm going to keep it like that.


	13. The Unleashed Witch

Disclaimer/claimer: I do not and never will own the story "Beauty and the Beast". "Just a Rose" is mine, though.

Chapter Thirteen

The beast couldn't help but look in on Elliot the following morning. Their conversation last night had filled him with hope and relief. After the witch's threat, he didn't hear from her again. He thought of Elliot's words once again while he stared into the mirror. He wished the witch had not been there. What would he have said if she wasn't there to make him want to hurt Elliot?

The young woman was sleeping. The curtain over the window was open and the sunlight made her hair look red. Her lips were parted and her chest rose and fell slowly. Her skin was golden, except for her cheeks, which were always slightly pink, it seemed. _'She's beautiful…' _She rolled over in bed, pulling the covers tighter around her. He put the mirror down when he heard tapping from outside. A mouse was coming up the stairs.

He opened the door for her before she could call for him. Carol didn't look at him, just came in and climbed up the chair in front of his desk. He sat down at his bed and watched her. After a moment he said, "Carol… I am ssso sssory for what I ssaid. You were right. About everything." He sighed and glanced up at her. She still had a hard, cold look in her eyes. "I have been acting horribly. I've been depressssed for far too long, and when you tried to pull me out of it, I took my anger out on you. I didn't mean a word of what I sssaid. I… I'm glad to have you for a friend, Carol."

Carol continued to look at him coolly. It took a while, but her face began to soften. "I forgive you," she said. "Now, tell me what's happened. You look much better today, but… there's something wrong at the same time."

The beast nodded and told her everything that had happened after the mouse had left him. "That's wonderful!" she exclaimed when he finished. She stood up on her hind legs and got back down, clearly very excited. "This is a very good sign. She's beginning to care for you!"

"Carol… thisss isss awful. Now, the misssstresss isss in a hurry to have her killed."

Carol bit her lip and looked away, thinking of Leo. "Yes," she said softly. "That is a problem…"

"Carol… are you hiding sssomething from me?"

Before she could answer, the beast winced and clutched at his heart. "Wake her up," the mistress told him. "I was not jesting when I said you would spend every waking minute with her."

"Sir?" Carol said, leaning forward in the chair. "Are you all right?"

"It'sss her…" he said, sitting up slowly. "Tell Michael to prepare breakfassst for Elliot and me."

"Oh dear… She really is in a hurry, then?" She climbed down from the chair and scurried out of the room. The beast followed her down the stairs. "And don't forget, sir, to be yourself. From what you told me last night, I think she would like to meet that man in there."

He nodded. "I'll try to be…. But what if I make a fool of myssself or break sssomething…. No, no… I can't be myssself! I'm clumsssy and never know what to sssay…"

"And if the curse is meant to be broken, then she'll love you for it. Now go sweep her off her feet! And ignore that awful witch in you." The beast felt the witch grow angry at this comment. She had the urge to stomp on Carol and the beast pushed her aside.

"I'll try…"

"Good! Now go wake her up. But straighten your shirt, first. There, that's better. Now go on!" She crawled through a hole in the wall and he heard her scampering in the walls.

The beast looked down at himself and sighed. He straightened his jacket again and untangled a clump of fur from his wrist and then started pacing.

"What do you think you're doing?"

The beast hissed. The witch's words were cold and harsh. They made his flesh crawl. She was angrier and more impatient than usual.

'_Stalling,'_ he thought.

He felt a pressure on his mind, making him moan and clutch his head. The pressure increased and then it felt as if his mind was being prodded with hot iron rods. He growled and fell to his knees. Images of a beaten, bloody Elliot flashed through his mind. Her body was mutilated and torn to pieces. He tried to scream for her to stop, he slashed the air as if to slash the witch with his claws, but the images wouldn't leave him. In his mind, she was in agony. She was taken to the brink of death time and again in his mind. And then, worst of all the things the witch had shown him, he watched Elliot transform. She turned into a small, furry creature. She was trapped in a small cage and she was talking. But her words began to blur and they didn't make sense until soon, she was merely squeaking.

"There are worse things than death," the witch reminded him. "I will beat her, tear her limb from limb, but I will not kill her. Or, I could turn her into an animal. A mindless, stupid animal. Would you wish either of those fates on her."

'_I'll kill you! I'll kill you before you can touch her!' _

The witch laughed. "Kill me? How?"

The beast put the claws of his right paw to his left wrist. _'You live in me. I am your vessel. If I am destroyed, then you will vanish. And if you are gone, the curse will be lifted from everyone here. It's so simply… why have I not thought of it before?'_

"You wouldn't dare!"

'_Without me… you're nothing.'_ He increased the pressure. His scales were tough, but his claws were even more so.

The witch took control of his mind. It had been years since she had been in _complete_ control. He screamed. Everything in him, his mind, his organs, his bones, felt as though they were twisting and breaking and reforming and twisting and breaking once again. He gripped the ground and his claws tore at the floor. His body was shaking and he was still screaming. It was a horrible sound, more of an unearthly shriek than a scream.

When it was over, he felt weak. He couldn't move anything. He was detached from his own body, and it was as if he were looking through the eyes of a stranger.

The witch, no doubt, had probably never felt better. She had his strength, and was in control of his body. The beast knew that this situation would not last long. The witch's magic wasn't strong enough to let this go on for more than an hour or two. But she could do so much damage in that time…

The witch, in the body of the beast, stood and ran down the hall. Her eyes were dark and furious. She stormed down the stairs and rushed down the hall. When she reached Elliot's room, she threw the door open.

The beast could only watch helplessly as the witch went into the room. Elliot had been lying in bed, staring at the roses on her desk, but when the door opened, she jumped up in surprise. "You scared me to death!" she said with a smile as she looked at the witch, thinking her to be the beast. Her smile fell when she saw the look in her eyes. "What's wrong?"

The witch went forward and pulled Elliot to her, wrapping her arms around her. Elliot froze, startled. Inside, the true beast cried out as he felt strength returning to him. It was Elliot who made him feel this way. But even with his newfound strength, he could not take back his body and free Elliot.

"S-sir! What are you doing?"

"Ha!" the witch laughed, stepping back. Though the witch was in control, the body and voice remained the same. "Ssshe callsss me Sssir! Girl, call me Beassst! For that issss what I am."

Elliot narrowed her eyes at him. "You're not a beast…. Last night…"

"Lassst night I wasss a fool!" she snarled. "Thiss isss what I truly am!"

'_Stop it!'_ the beast screamed. _'Stop it now!'_

'_Don't you feel the strength returning to you?' _the witch thought. _'It feels amazing, doesn't it? For centuries I have been waiting for the girl who would make me feel strong again. And I won't let you take that away from me! Once this little spell is over with, I will have the strength you feel now. If you want a job done right, do it yourself, correct?'_

The witch grabbed Elliot's arm tightly and the girl tried to pull away. "You're going to eat breakfassst with me!" she said, pulling her towards the door.

"No!" Elliot screamed and stomped on the witch's foot. Surprised, she let her go and Elliot stumbled back. "I would rather dine with a fool than a beast."

The witch laughed. "You're ssso ssstrong and sstubborn. It isss why I need you. It isss why I love you." The girl's eyes widened and she shook her head.

'_What have you done?'_ the beast screamed. _'I don't… I mean… I think I may… but I…'_

'I _love her, you fool! She is everything I need. I love her for giving me strength, for being the fire that I need. And I will love her more when I kill her and end this curse!'_

"Come with me, girl!" he snarled.

"No! Get out! Get out!" She threw the roses at him, and then the other bouquet hit the witch. "Get out!" she screamed again.

The beast had stopped yelling and was watching Elliot scream and yell at him. Last night she had understood him, and now… well, now they were back at the beginning. He couldn't have felt more miserable.

He heard a familiar voice and the witch turned and looked down. "Sir! What on Earth are you doing?"

The beast tried to use his strength to get control again. _'Carol!'_ he screamed. He was trapped in the back of his own mind, and she could not hear him. _'Carol! Please see that it isn't me! I'm not the one in control!'_

"What do you want, rat?"

Carol stiffened. Even when he was angry, she had never heard the beast sound that cruel and cold. And he had never called her a rat before. "Sir? Is everything all right?" she asked, fear in her voice.

The witch was still growling at her. "Why are you here?"

Carol glanced at Elliot and then looked up at the witch. "Sir… is that you?"

The beast hissed loudly and crouched down, close to the ground, poised to strike. _'No! Don't hurt her!'_

'_I always thought that this one was rather annoying… and now she knows and will tell the girl of my plan.'_

'_No! Stop!'_ he cried. The power and strength she was feeling was getting to her head. He could sense her emotions and hear almost all of her thoughts. She wanted to know how fast she could kill a mouse in this body.

She bared her fangs and her claws dug into the carpet. Her dark eyes were staring intently at Carol. The mouse squeaked and began to turn and run out when the witch hissed once again and lunged forward. Before she could snap her teeth around Carol, Elliot jumped forward and scooped the mouse up into her hands, stepping on the witch's head as she did so, and ran out the door.

"Carol, what's going on?" she yelled as she ran down the hallway.

"No time to explain!" the mouse yelled back. "Quick, go out the front door!"

"What? I thought it was locked!"

"Just go!"

Elliot did as she was told and ran down the hall. Her heart was pounding and her stomach was knotted up with fear. She didn't pause or think as she ran. She just wanted to get away. She opened the front door and slammed it behind her. She leaned against the door and pressed her thumb and index finger against her eyes, her free hand holding Carol.

"Ellie, Dearie, we should get out of the way. We can hide behind those bushes there." Carol's voice was soothing and the young woman nodded and walked down the steps and hid behind the bushes on the side of the house. She sat down on the ground and leaned against the wall of the house behind her. Carol climbed down from her hand and walked forward. Leo was in the bushes as well, and so was a cat Elliot hadn't met.

"What's wrong with her?" Leo asked quietly.

"It's the master…" Carol paused. "Well, sort of. It's really the mistress."

Elliot had been trying very hard not to cry when Carol said that. "Who is she?" she asked. "Everyone speaks of her, but I've never met her."

Carol sighed. "Dearie… you just did. The master would never act that way towards you, nor would he ever try to attack me."

"What?! She tried to attack you?" Leo yelled.

The cat hissed. "Keep it down! They'll be here any minute. And you shouldn't be telling her such things."

"She has a right to know!" She whispered so only Leo and Stuart could hear, "Her life is on the line. It would be wrong of us not to tell her!" Carol said to Elliot, "The witch, as we call her, doesn't have a body of her own." Stuart groaned and rolled his eyes, but Carol only glared at him. "None of us are sure of what she really is. But when she cursed us, she also went inside the master. She… possessed him, so to speak. She's been a part of him for over a hundred years now. Sometimes, when she finds it necessary, she will take complete control of his body. She always has a little bit of power over him, but when she has completely taken over, there will be no resistance. The master cannot control it or fight it. He must not have been obeying her… only when he is being especially stubborn and resistant does she take control."

"But… when he… she came in she didn't seem to want to do anything out of the ordinary. Why would he disobey having breakfast with me?"

Before Carol could answer, the cat sat up straighter and his tail flicked. "They're coming."

Elliot tensed. "The witch?"

Stuart cast an annoyed glance in her direction. "No, not them. Her and the beast will come later, I suspect."

"Shouldn't we be leaving then?"

"And miss the show?" Stuart said, laying down and peering at the yard from under the branches. "Hardly."

The animals fell silent and Elliot tried to relax. Her heart was still pounding and her whole body was tense. The mice were as tense as she, especially Leo, who was standing close to the cat and was trying to inch away. Elliot could hear the mistress inside. She was yelling something and running through the halls.

"Relax," the cat told her. "Once the witch sees what we have in store for her, she'll completely forget about you."

"What do you have in store for her?" Elliot asked.

"Can't you hear them?" Elliot shook her head. The cat groaned. "I forget humans can't hear that well. You'll see them soon."

They all stood still and listened. Carol's eyes widened when she heard them. "Leo! _This_ is your brilliant plan?" she yelled, rounding on Leo.

"It'll work!" he said, backing away from her. "It has to work…"

Elliot heard it too. It was faint and she had trouble telling what it was at first. But then she caught a laugh, and she could pick out footsteps in the noise. A thrumming _bum bum boom _sound came from the road past the yard, which she suspected was music being played too loud. They were getting louder and louder. She could hear voices yelling and the music was beginning to form itself into a song instead the deep thrumming.

They rounded the corner and Elliot's jaw dropped. There were at least a hundred men and women coming up the path. They were rowdy, laughing, cracking jokes, shaking beer cans and opening them on their friends. Two carried a large boom box over their heads and many others carried beer kegs, cans or bottles. Some carried boxes full of snacks and who knew what else. They were loud and obnoxious… but they were humans. And they were coming here.

She started to stand. She could get lost in that crowd. There were still more pouring down the path. The people at the front of the crowd pushed the gates open and walked towards the house. She could go home, see her father. She could leave this strange place behind and she would never have to worry about a mistress or a beast ever again.

Stuart pounced on her lap and Elliot fell down, surprised. "What are you doing?" he hissed. "You don't want to be out there when she comes out."

"Why not?" she asked. "I could go home!"

The cat glared at Leo. "So much for your plan…" To Elliot, he said, "It isn't safe."

Elliot was about to push the cat off of her when the front door opened and the witch stormed out.

--------

Trapped and detached as he was, the beast could still feel the headache Elliot's foot gave him. The witch had it worse. She brought the beast claws up to her head and stood up slowly. "_Where issss ssshe_?" she hissed. She stood and ran down the hall. She searched every room she came across, but there was no sign of her. "Where iss ssshe?"

The beast was still trying to regain control of his body, but now that Elliot was gone, he could no longer feel the strength returning to him. The witch had searched the library, the ballroom and every room in between and still hadn't found Elliot. In the kitchen, she screamed at Michael, "Where did ssshe go? Where isss that girl?" Everyone in the kitchen stared at her, wide eyed and frightened. She got no response and so she left and ran back into the foyer. Here, she stopped and looked around.

The beast felt his strength returning to him. It was slow and weak, but he could still feel it. He tried not to think of the reason, but the witch knew. "You're getting sssstronger… sssshe issss near…"

'No sh…' 

The beast stopped and the witch stood up straighter. There were odd noises coming from outside. For a few minutes, she just stood there, uncertain and confused. The beast asked, _'You're not _scared_, are you?'_

The witch hissed and went to the door. She turned the knob and a growl escaped her throat. "Why isssn't it locked?" The beast had no answer and she threw the door open and went outside.

A crowd of humans greeted her. They were coming towards the steps, and she heard one going on about a party. She stared, frozen on the steps. There were so many of them…

A woman noticed the witch first and screamed. She was pointing at her and she wouldn't stop screaming. More people began to notice and some screamed as well. "It's a monster!" one yelled.

"It's hideous!"

"This was a trap!"

"What _is_ that thing?"

The witch growled and the people closest to her stepped back.

The beast inside was terrified and was trying to find Elliot in the crowd. He could feel the witch's anger and bloodlust coming back. Everyone was in the yard by now and most knew about the reptilian witch on the steps. They had, for the most part, stopped screaming and were staring at the witch with wide eyes. The witch hissed and began to go down the steps. The crowd began to scream again and they fought and shoved their way back down the path. The witch roared and the gates at the end of the path closed. "They won't open!" someone in the back of the crowd yelled. "We're trapped! It's going to kill us!"

A few at the front of the crowd got over their fear and tossed food at the witch. "Let us out!"

"Open the gates, you freak!" one yelled, throwing the boom box at the witch's feet. It broke and the music stopped, but more people were beginning to yell and throw what they had with them. "Open the gates!" Someone came forward with an acoustic guitar and swung it at the witch. She grabbed it and snarled at the man holding the other end. She pulled it closer and the man was pulled towards her. He was no longer angry and brave. He was pale and shaking with fear.

'_Stop!'_ the beast yelled. _'Don't hurt anyone!'_

The guitar broke in the witch's claws and she lashed out at the man, cutting his arm and chest. He screamed and fell down onto the steps. Everyone began to scream and scatter. The witch rushed into the crowd, attacking anyone and everyone, slashing out and biting. The screams were getting louder and the smell of blood was strong. Someone jumped onto her back before she could grab a woman's neck. She growled and ran quickly through the crowds. She was faster than any human, and the speed surprised the man and he fell off. She whirled on him and pressed her foot on his chest. He screamed and thrashed around, hitting her leg.

'_Stop it! All of these bodies will be noticed and then you'll never break this curse!' _

"What would you have me do?" she asked aloud, pressing harder on the man's chest. Around her, the people were still screaming and trying to find places to hide. They began to pour inside the house. "Would you want me to let them live?"

'Do what you did to Lila's family. Make them forget and then send them back!' 

"There are too many…"

"Let me go!" the man beneath her yelled. She increased pressure and his struggles became weaker and she started choking.

--------

Everything had been silent, the humans and the witch too surprised and scared to do anything. But when the fight started, nothing could stop it. The witch, despite the stiff, scaly body she was in, moved swiftly and with grace that surprised Elliot. She would slash someone with her claws, then whirl around and bite someone else. She was careful not to kill anyone, and Elliot could only stare.

"Why is he… _she_ not killing them?" she whispered.

"A dead man is harder to hide than a stupid one," Stuart said. Elliot didn't understand but continued to watch the fight. It was almost surreal, watching everyone screaming and fleeing. It all seemed quiet to her, as if she were watching it all happen from far away. She was detached from it all, and couldn't look away. It was horrible and fascinating. Like watching a train wreck. You knew that people were getting hurt, but you have never seen anything like it before and couldn't look away. And it always made you feel relieved to know that you weren't in that train. But she was terrified as well.

"What have you done?" Carol whispered, bringing Elliot back to the real world. The screams were loud in her ears once more. "Leo… why?"

"Don't you see?" he asked. "She'll wipe their memories and send them back like what she did six years ago. She's still weak from that! If she does it again, then it will give the master enough time to…" he suddenly stopped and then went back to watching. Stuart was purring, his tail swishing slowly in contentment.

"We have to stop this," Elliot said. "What if she doesn't wipe their minds and send them back? What if she does kill someone?" No one answered her and she felt alone and at a loss. She was terrified to leave the safety of the bushes, but the more she watched, the more horrible and sickening the whole scene was. Those who were injured were screaming and sobbing as they bled on the lawn. "We can't just keep watching as if this were some movie!"

"The mice don't know what movies are, girl," Stuart said. "And we _can_ just watch. It's easy. Just sit back and keep your eyes on the action."

"That's sick!"

"It's life."

The witch had a man pinned under her foot. Everyone was trying to get away and no one tried to help. "She's going to kill him!"

"She's talking to the master," Leo said when he noticed the mouth of the reptile move.

The witch pressed harder on the man's chest. "Don't you care that she's about to kill that man?"

"The master will talk some sense into her…" Carol said, sounding uncertain. "He'll make her see that she has to fix this mess…"

The witch didn't move. The man under her was beginning to choke and lose the fight in him. "She isn't doing anything!" Elliot nearly yelled. She got no response and with an angry yell she shoved the cat off of her and leapt from the bushes, running towards the witch. She ran into her from the side, causing her to lose balance and fall over. Elliot fell with her and the man scrambled to his feet and ran off. The witch rolled and pinned Elliot under her. Elliot struggled under her and tried not to look into her eyes. Only last night did she see them looking so calm and caring. But now they were cold and full of hate. The witch wrapped her claws around Elliot's neck and began to squeeze. She gasped and grabbed at the claws around her neck and tried to pull them free.

The beast was doing everything he could to get control again. _'Elliot!'_ he screamed. He was growing stronger, but it wasn't enough. The witch had barriers around his mind and he couldn't get through them and take control of his body again. _'Stop!'_ he cried, watching Elliot choke. He roared and thrashed, trying to hurt the witch any way he could. _'You're killing her!'_

"I won't kill her yet," the witch said. "I'll break her, tear her apart and make her sssuffer before I let her die."

The witch roared and let go of Elliot. She gasped for breath and crawled out from under the witch. Carol and Leo were biting the witch's ankles, chomping into the scales. The witch kicked and the mice went flying off the ankle and rolled in the grass.

Elliot scrambled to her feet and backed away as the witch got up. She started to go forward but stopped and clutched her head. The beast inside was screaming and fighting against the spell, and it was beginning to weaken. _'You have to end this before it's too late!' _

The witch glared at Elliot and the girl froze. In that gaze she saw hatred, longing and something else that said, "Until next time." A strange sort of light began to appear at the reptilian feet. It climbed up the witch slowly and the wind began to pick up.

"Elliot!" Carol screamed. "Run!"

She did. She ran to Carol and Leo, picked them up and ran to the bushes. She knelt down and watched the witch from a distance. "What's happening?" she asked. The wind was only around the witch. It was spinning around her madly and the light was getting brighter.

Carol didn't seem to have heard her. "Are you all right? Oh, that was a brave thing you did. Is your neck okay?"

"Will you two be quiet? The show is getting good!" Stuart snapped.

They did fall silent and watched. She was terrified and didn't know how to react to what was going on. Earlier, it was easy to want to help. Everyone understood a fight when they saw one. But this… she didn't know what this was. The light was getting brighter and brighter. She had to shield her eyes and was about to ask once again what was going on when there was an explosion of light and wind. The light nearly blinded her and the wind pushed at her. It was strong enough to send Carol and Leo back, pressing them against the wall behind them. Elliot's eyes were watering and she could hardly move, the wind was so strong.

When it stopped, they all tried to catch their breaths and recollect themselves. Elliot blinked and stood up. The humans were coming out of their hiding places and were beginning to gather their things and leave. They came out of the house slowly and then began to leave. They moved slowly and mechanically, as if they were zombies. Wounds were being repaired and their expressions were blank. "She's making them forget…" Carol said slowly. The gate opened and they all began to leave.

Elliot stepped out from behind the bush and watched with a frown on her face. She waved her hand in front of a passing man's face, but she got no response. Not even the witch noticed her. She followed them to the gate and watched them walk down the path and turn onto the road. Her heart began to beat faster. _'I can follow them…'_ The last man left and she heard someone groan behind her. She whirled around and saw the reptile take a step towards her.

"Elliot…. You're ssssafe…" There was relief in his eyes and she knew that it wasn't the witch. The beast groaned again before falling forward. Elliot started to go forward but then she looked over her shoulder. The gate was wide open. She could just leave right now and go home. She looked back at the beast, lying helpless on the ground, and her lips curved up in a small smile. She couldn't leave him there alone.

She stepped forward and started to pull him up. He was heavy and she groaned under his weight and had to put him back down. She rolled him onto his back and hesitated before feeling his forehead. The scales were very hot. "Someone go get Michael. I need help getting him inside."

A.N. Finally! An update! Well, I hope you all liked it. Lots o' actiony stuff in this chapter. Anyway, thank you very much for your criticisms, Answer! I'm glad someone finally called me on my long windedness. XD I have a horrible habit of making thins move too slowly. Then again, I'm afraid this chapter moved too fast. I have a hard time finding the happy medium. Thanks again, everyone! Oh! And you should all check out my new story. It's based very roughly on The Little Mermaid. I'm still working on the next chapter, but I'm curious to see what people think of it so far. Thanks!


	14. The Name Game

Chapter Fourteen

The Name Game

Elliot was up early the next morning. She had wanted to stay with the beast through the night, but Michael had sent her off to bed. When she had gone to bed, the beast still had not woken up and he still had a fever.

They had put him in an old sitting room. "He's too heavy for me to take him all the way up to his room," Michael had said. The beast was still there when Elliot went there. He was lying on a couch with a rag on his forehead. She sat in a chair by the bed and stared down at him. Before, his scales had looked odd. They had been dull and almost ashen. Now, they looked normal. They were dark blue, but when she turned her head and looked at them from a different angle, they looked green.

Michael said that he hadn't woken up or stirred at all. Elliot had been there since the early morning and now, almost noon, there was sill no sign that he would wake up anytime soon.

Her hand went to the pendant at her throat. It was warm and heavy. But she got the impression that it wasn't _just_ heavy because of what it was made of. There was feeling in it… as if someone had cared about it very much. It was a soothing feeling and it made her smile. It had been sweet of him to give it to her. She just wished that he would wake up so she could tell him herself.

Michael came in carrying a bowl of soup. He seemed surprised that Elliot was still there. "Why are you worried about him?" he asked, setting the bowl on the end table. There was suspicion in his voice and Elliot looked stung. "I mean no offense… but he did kidnap you and your father."

Elliot smiled and shook her head. "No, he didn't."

The worries washed from Michael's face to be replaced with a surprised, understanding look. "I see." He nodded to her and then left them alone.

Elliot sat by the couch for a long time. Upon entering the room, she had immediately pulled back the thick curtains to let in the sunlight. She watched as the shadows grew longer and still, the beast had not stirred. He was breathing deeply, as if in a deep sleep… he just wouldn't wake up. Michael came back and took the soup and replaced it with a sandwich for Elliot. Her appetite was nonexistent, despite the fact that she had skipped breakfast and lunch. She nibbled at the sandwich and tried to force herself to eat it. Her body was sore from sitting in the chair so long and she got up and paced around the room.

Why wouldn't he wake up? Was he sick? She was so confused about the past days events and no one seemed willing to talk to her. Why had the witch taken control of the beast? Why had she tried to kill her? The witches words, disguised as the beasts, still haunted her. _"You're ssso ssstrong and sstubborn. It isss why I need you. It isss why I love you."_

"It is why I need you…" she said aloud, a frown on her face. She didn't understand it at all. Why did the witch need her so much?

Carol came in often. She never seemed to come in from the same place twice, and so surprised Elliot when she saw the mouse near the door or near the window. The little mouse rarely said anything. She didn't have to. She was worried about the beast and proud of Elliot for choosing to stay. Elliot knew that the mouse had noticed her moment of indecision. The gates were wide open, beckoning for her to walk out and follow the others. But in retrospect, she didn't really regret her choice. There was too much here. There was the magic that captivated her, the mysterious beast who didn't seem that beastly and then there was Oliver, the dashing and charming man of the night.

And there was danger. So much danger. And adventure. A part of her thrilled at the idea of being surrounded by it. It was childish, but it excited her. The danger thrilled her as much as it terrified her.

It was the _thought_ of danger people enjoyed, the thrill of jumping in fear. It was like a drug, the rush and feel of it that people wanted, and Elliot was no different. Not even her brushes with real danger could shake her need for more adventure out of her. "You fool…. I'll get myself killed." This witch wanted to hurt her, that much was obvious now. She could still feel the cool claws around her neck. She shuddered. "It wasn't him," she told herself as she stared down at the beast's claws.

The sun had almost set when Sye came in. He pushed the door open and walked up to Elliot, who was nearly asleep in the chair. He lay his head on her lap and she jumped. "Sye! You scared me." She scratched his ear and he panted happily. The dog could talk, but he was often very quiet. He moved his head from her lap to the couch. He licked the beasts claws. Out of all the creatures in the house, he acted most like a true animal.

He backed away, looked out the window and said, "You should go to bed."

Elliot shook her head. "No… I want to be here when he wakes up."

Sye seemed to smile and he bit her skirt and gave it a tug. "You're hardly awake as it is, if you pardon my saying so. I'll sit here and watch him and I'll wake you if he wakes." She still looked hesitant. He looked past her out the window. The sun was nearly set now. "I promise. Please… he would want you to get your rest."

She sighed. "Okay. Good night, Sye." Once she left, Sye let out a relived sigh and went to the window, putting his front paws up onto the windowsill to watch the sunset.

Elliot tried to sleep, but nagging, annoying thoughts wouldn't leave her alone. Was the beast all right? What would happen if he wasn't? She couldn't stop worrying about him. He had saved her from the forest and had been kind to her since she first got here. She didn't count the cruelness she had thought she saw in him when they first met. That was the witches doing.

She rolled out of bed and left her room. She had bathed and changed into a nightgown that was a bit too big for her. She felt clean and refreshed, now if only she could put her mind at ease as well. She walked down the hall to the sitting room the beast had been in and knocked on the door. "Sye? Are you still in there?" She tried opening the door, but it was locked._ 'Strange… who could have locked it?' _She gasped suddenly and knocked again. "Beast?" she called. She hated calling him that, but Carol had told her that he wouldn't mind, and that he couldn't remember his name. "Beast, are you all right?"

She got no answers. The door remained shut and she heard nothing at all from the other side of the door. She frowned but then began to wander the halls, hoping for any sign of the beast or Sye. She doubted she would. She never saw the animals at night. Only Oliver was here at night, but even now she couldn't find him. She went to the library, but he wasn't there, and neither was the letter she had left for him. She then wandered to the ballroom, hoping to see Oliver in there dancing with his fiddle. But the room was empty, and there was no music to be heard.

Still worried and unable to sleep, she wandered the house. Rooms that weren't locked during the day were locked now. She could have sworn she had explored them in the day… so it didn't make sense that they were now locked. Could a bird, or a mouse, even, lock a door without help? Perhaps Oliver had locked the doors… but why would he do that? Why lock them up but not her?

She finally found a room that wasn't locked. She wasn't expecting the door to open and she stumbled into the room. She caught herself on a table near the door and looked around. Only a little bit of the light from the hall came into this room. She stepped forward, squinting her eyes to try and see past the shadows. Her hand slid across the table and then brushed against a chair and then… a box. She frowned and looked down at her hand. It was indeed resting on a wooden boxed. After staring for a few moments, she was able to make out more boxes under the first. In fact, the room was stuffed with boxes. After closer inspection, she saw that most were nailed shut.

She was about to leave when she saw that there was a box in the middle of the room that was open. She turned and moved out of the doorway to let some of the light to shine inside. The lid was leaning against the box and, unlike the other boxes, this one was not covered in dust. Someone had come into this room recently.

She hesitated. Curiosity was a weak point of hers and she couldn't resist stepping forward and seeing what was in the box. She was snooping into someone else's business, she knew, but she couldn't help it. She had to know what was in the box…. She looked over her shoulder, thinking she heard a creak in the hall and then looked back down at the box. She stepped closer and then knelt down to examine what was in the box.

She was almost disappointed. Piles of papers were in there, yellowed with age. She picked up the one on top and squinted her eyes. It was written in neat, tight handwriting with flourishes on all of the letters, making it hard to read. After examining it a bit longer, she realized that it was the deed to this house.

The owner of the house was a man named Mason Scott Powell. Her eyes widened when they fell on the name. She had thought that the beast was the owner. Everyone called him "master", after all. "Perhaps he and Oliver are brothers…" she thought. But why the parents would give one brother the same name as the other's middle name made no sense.

She continued to stare at the deed. For some unknown reason, reading the name troubled her greatly. The thought of the beast and Oliver being brothers was too strange. But they were related somehow… she knew they had to be. They shared the same name!

She put the deed back in the box and left, not wishing to pry any farther. Perhaps it was guilt that she felt for having snooped, but she knew that her wariness and troubled thoughts weren't the cause of just guilt. She felt cheated. The first person she had trusted had lied to her. "The beast is an old friend of mine," Oliver had told her when they first met. An old friend indeed! Why hadn't he told her?

'_Why should he?' _a voice asked in her mind. The brutally honest side of her spoke once more, _'He didn't know you at all. He didn't have to tell you anything. Besides, you may be reading too much into this. They may not be related. But if they are… then what difference does that make?'_

She didn't know why, but the thought of them being related was so strange. They were so very different. And if they were related, why would they share such different curses?

She shook her head. What she had learned didn't matter at all. Who cared if Oliver was the beast's brother? It shouldn't matter at all.

But as she walked back to bed, she couldn't help but feel that it did matter in some way.

-

After fretting over the master all day and having a good nights sleep afterwards, Carol felt prepared to tackle Leo head on the next morning. The master had finally woken up, saying he was fine and that he wanted to see Elliot, but the girl was asleep, so the master simply nodded and went back to sleep as well. Carol had no reason to worry anymore and her anger came back with a vengeance.

She hunted Leo down, searching their corridors hidden in the walls and hunting in the kitchen cabinets. He seemed to know what was coming to him and was doing a good job at hiding this time around. She did find Stuart and she gave him a piece of her mind.

"How could you do that?" she yelled. He had been calmly licking his paw after a successful hunting trip and Carol's voice was so loud and shrill that he hissed and whirled around. "And please tell me that you didn't just eat Leo before I could give him a good yelling at as well!"

Realizing what was going on, Stuart calmed down and snorted. "Even if I wanted to eat Leo, I couldn't. It's in the curse, _Dearie_." He hissed the last word, mocking the little mouse. "Tricking all of those people to come here had been thrilling. They actually believed there would be a mind blowing party here." He chuckled as he thought of tricking those people, his green eyes gleaming in the light.

Carol didn't know what a mind blowing party was, but she was too angry to ask. "The master could have been killed! Those people! Those poor, strange people could have been hurt! And Elliot…"

"Elliot is sleeping soundly in her room. She did not betray the master." Carol flinched a little at his tone. "You didn't trust her to stay, did you?" Carol's silence was enough of an answer and the cat laughed, standing up to circle Carol slowly. "Carol, Carol… the dear, sweet mouse doesn't trust the girl who will "save" us all." He chuckled and Carol could feel his hot breath on her neck, making her fur stand on end and her whiskers tremble. He turned away, flicking his tail at her. "You think too highly of me. Did you really think I would care if any of those people were hurt? I might feel a twinge of regret if our master was hurt, but only because that would mean the witch would have to find a new vessel. She would change one of us to suit her needs, and I wouldn't like to be the one changed into a hideous monster. I quite like my cat body, thank you."

As he walked away, some strength came to Carol and she laughed. The cat paused and turned his head slightly. "The masters appearance changed with the curse. But when you turned into a cat, _you_ started becoming the monster. I really did like you better as a human."

Stuart didn't say anything and stood still, as if contemplating her words. Then his tail flicked in annoyance. "Keep a sharp eye on that girl." Then he sauntered down the hall and jumped out an open window.

With a huff, Carol walked down the hall and turned the corner, only to run into Leo.

The large, black mouse winced and then sat back on his hind legs, rubbing his nose. "That _hurt_!" He peered behind Carol and asked, "Is Stuart gone? I think he's been hunting me down all day…"

Before he could finish, Carol ran forward, her head running into his chest and knocking him over. The wind was knocked out of the mouse and Carol was pacing around him, much like Stuart had done to her.

"You fool!" she screamed. "You're a complete fool! Did you even think of the consequences of what could have happened? Do you realize how dangerous that stunt was? The master just woke up today, a day and a half after the incident. And he went right back to sleep. You're lucky nobody was killed!"

She breathed deeply and by now Leo had managed to breath again. "Carol," he said, standing up. "I did think about what I did and the choice really was hard." Carol made to speak but Leo snapped, "Listen to me!" Carol's mouth shut and she glared at Leo. "The master was intent on avoiding Elliot because of the witch. If he did this, then Elliot would have fallen in love with Oliver and not the master. And if that happened, then this curse would never be broken! I didn't mean for the witch to take control of the master so quickly. That was not in my plan…. But it certainly helped. The witches rampage and what she did to those humans the other day have made her weak. So weak, that she is completely dormant. Can't you feel it, Carol? It's like winter for her, but still spring for us. Doesn't everything feel lighter to you? Isn't the house warmer now?"

Carol thought about it. When the witch had some control over the master, everyone could feel it. She could sense everyone's thoughts and actions. She made the air cold and thick at the same time. Now… the house felt pleasant. The air was clean and didn't weigh so heavily over them.

"But all of those people, Leo…."

"None of them were hurt. I knew the witch couldn't allow the humans to leave bloody footprints, so to speak. She couldn't risk hurting her vessel and no way could she harm Elliot. Not yet."

It struck her odd that Leo used the same word to describe the master as Stuart had. It bothered her a little, but she didn't let it show. "How long will this last?"

"If we're lucky, then it will last until winter. And then she will be forced to continue being dormant. She cannot stand the cold. But I do not think it will take that long."

Carol nodded. "No, I don't think it will take long, either." She sighed and raised her paw to straighten some of Leo's fur that had gotten ruffled when she pushed him. "I'm sorry for yelling at you like that. I just wish you had filled me in on the plan. I was so worried…" Leo looked away, feeling bad for not telling Carol. "Let's go wake up Elliot. She was so worried about the master yesterday. She will be thrilled when she hears that he woke up."

-

It was still morning when the beast woke again. He felt groggy, but that was all. He did not feel the witch stir inside him. He did not feel the pressure she put on his mind, or the heaviness in his heart that she caused him. He blinked his large, lizard eyes and stared at the ceiling. At first it felt so strange to have her missing, as if he were empty. But then it really hit him. She was gone. His heart started hammering in his chest and he sat up with a gasp. "The horrendoussss witch can die for all I care," he said aloud. He tensed, waiting for something to happen. But nothing did. He was not punished for his cruel words. If she really were still with him, she would have been furious. He started to laugh, and his long, thin mouth actually curved up in a smile, which is hard for a reptile to do. He was free! If only for a short while… but until she came back he wouldn't have to worry about anything at all. Elliot wouldn't be in danger when she was around him, and the witch would not grow stronger.

He continued laughing and didn't hear the door open, or the soft footsteps approaching. Only when he heard a throat being cleared did he stop and look over his shoulder. Elliot stood there, her hair messy and still wearing her nightgown. Her face was flushed, as if she had run all the way there. And at her neck was the necklace he had given her. He felt his heart stop, but when she stepped closer it started pounding in his chest as if it hadn't beat in years.

"You're okay…" she said. Her face was a mix of emotions. She started to smile, but then she would frown and then she would bite her lip as if she was nervous. He stood from the couch and turned to face her. He was just as rumpled as she was. His clothes were torn and bloody from the fight, but he didn't look tired at all. It was hard for her to tell, but she thought that he looked energized and happy. "I mean…. Are you? Are you all right?"

The beast nodded. "More than all right. Ssshe'sss gone."

Elliot frowned. There were still parts of the curse that she didn't understand. If she were gone, then why was he still a reptile?

Before she could voice her question, the beast stepped forward and then hesitated. "Are you hurt?" he asked. She shook her head and his shoulders sagged in relief. "I hardly remember what happened," he explained. "But I wouldn't be able to live with myssself if I had hurt you…"

She looked up at him, her frown back on her face. He wanted to kick himself. Why had he said that? She was just starting to trust him and he had to go and blurt something as stupid as that! First day without the witch and already he was ruining his chances with the girl. He would probably scare her off.

She didn't look scared, though. Only confused. "It wouldn't have been you. The witch was the one who was in control that day." He looked a bit surprised and she chanced a small smile. "Carol filled me in on some of the details. She said that the witch possessed you. But I don't understand. If she's gone like you said, then where is she? And why are you still…?" She blushed furiously and looked away.

The beast wasn't offended. "Perhapsss you ssshould get dressssed. I will tell you what you wisssh to know over breakfasssst."

She nodded and turned to leave but then turned back and said, "Thank you for the necklace." Her face was still red, but there was a small smile on her face. She turned and left the room, closing the door softly behind her.

The beast waited for his heart to stop pounding and then he went to the door and rushed down the hall. "Breakfassst, Michael! Carol! Help!" He then rushed up the stairs. Before going to his attic, he turned into a large bathroom and started a bath before going up to his room.

Carol was there waiting for him, out of breath from running all the way. "Master… what's wrong?"

The beast was in a frenzy, pacing the room and running his hand over his scalp, as if to push his hair back. He then went to his wardrobe and started going through the clothes. "Master?" Carol repeated.

With a slithery sigh, he said, "I don't know what to wear."

-

Elliot took a quick bath and rummaged through her own wardrobe. Why she was so nervous was beyond her. She was excited about the breakfast. She would finally learn the details of this curse. But, she couldn't lie to herself. She was also a little excited to learn more about the beast. Ever since she had approached him the night he gave her flowers, she had been curious about him.

"Nothing but skirts and frilly dresses," she said, tossing the skirts onto the bed. She finally found something that was more modern. It was a simple dark green sun dress that stopped just below the knee. She put it on and was glad to find that it fit her. Most of the other clothes she had found were too big or too small. She put on sandals and ran her fingers through her still damp hair.

She left her room and went towards the dining room. The doors were closed and when she knocked a loud voice hollered, "Breakfast isn't ready yet!" She jumped back and rolled her eyes. Michael could have such a temper…

She paced in front of the door. Why was she so nervous? This wasn't anything different from the last time she had breakfast with the beast. She paused. Except the last time they ate together she had snapped at him and then left to try and escape...

She shuddered at the memory. Her parents voices rang in her ears and she could feel the demon still, as if a part of it lingered. She knew it was gone and that she was imagining it, but she was still scared when she thought of the forest.

She shook her head and tried to think of something else. The first thing that came to mind was the deed and she groaned. How could she ask the beast if he was related to Oliver? They have never said anything about the human. Would he think it rude? "Just don't ask. It's none of your business." But the name wouldn't leave her. Mason Scott Powell… who was this man?

-

It wasn't just his clothes the beast was concerned with. It was everything. "Carol… what do I do? Ssshe'sss _ssssmiling_ at me now!" His slithery voice was shaky and he kept pacing and rubbing his hand over his head. "What do I sssay? Ssshe doessn't hate me, Carol…"

The mouse laughed. "This is a good thing, Master! Please, calm down." She paused, her head titled. "Do you hear running water?"

The beast hissed and ran down the stairs. The tub had overflowed with warm, steaming water. He turned off the tap and ran back up the stairs to solve the clothes situation. He sorted through his outfits and tossed them all to the floor. "Too ssssimple. Too torn. Much too grand for breakfasssst!" He grunted and paced. "Carol, ssshe will think me a fool assss sssoon assss I open my mouth! How can I face her? Ssshe looksss at me and I am rooted to the ground with fear! Ssshe sssmilesss at me… and my heart is filled and wanting to burssst in my chessst." His eyes suddenly lit up and he froze. "Carol! Ssshe hasss sssmiled at me!"

Carol was laughing and she couldn't stop. "You've said that, Master. Please, calm down. You are talking to her and eating with her. That's all."

"But it may be too much." He sighed and began to pace again. "Carol, my clawsss! They have grown too long. They will ssscare her. Perhapss I ssshould delay the meal…"

"No!" Carol said, jumping from her post on the chair and going to the discarded outfits. "Wear this one. Yes, it is simple, but it fits you perfectly, and you do not want to wear anything _too_ nice. She might get the wrong impression. Go take your bath and you can take care of your claws there. You really must calm down."

He nodded and picked up the outfit. "I know… I am jussst sssso nervousss… We have rarely ssspoken to each other sssince ssshe got here…" He started to head to the door but then stopped. "What if ssshe sssstil fearsss me?" he asked.

"Impossible," the mouse said. "I saw the way she looked at you when she went to help you in. She was so concerned. And she wears the necklace you gave her. Master… I think she is the one."

The beast wanted to yell with joy and he felt warmth spread through him. It was such a relief after having a cold witch in him for the past few months.

He opened the door and started down the stairs when Carol yelled, "Just be yourself!" He huffed and went down the stairs to take his bath. Carol smiled and shook her head. He was acting like a love struck boy. At least he still wasn't worried about Elliot hating him and thinking him a hideous monster.

She sighed. How romantic it would be if he would sweep her off her feet. She hummed a tune to herself and then went down the stairs to tell Elliot he might be a little bit longer.

-

"Dearie?" Carol called as she appeared out from a hole in the wall. She found the young woman pacing, her strange eyes darker than usual and her hair still wild and untamable. "You look lovely," Carol said, approaching the girl. The girl almost looked wild, but she wasn't lying when she said she was lovely. "But is there something troubling you?"

Elliot looked down at the mouse and didn't say anything for a moment. She couldn't lie to the mouse. She was too kind to her, but Elliot didn't know what to say. There was so much clouding her mind, that she didn't know where to start. She shrugged and tried to smile.

"Nervous?" the mouse asked.

Elliot let out a little laugh. "I guess that's the best place to start. But I don't know why I'm nervous. Not really…" She began her pacing and Carol chuckled, thinking of the master's own pacing. "I want to know more about the curse." Carol's heart fell a little, only to be picked back up by Elliot's next words. "And… well, I want to know more about the beast as well." She shuddered as she added, "He saved me from the forest and he's been nothing but kind to me. I feel a little bad about being cruel to him. We spoke to each other like civilized people once… though, I did most of the talking, and he was just trying to fight the witch." She thought about the first time they had eaten together. She had been starving and was attacking her food and he had teased her by asking if she was hungry. With a groan, she realized that she was hungry now. She had hardly eaten yesterday. "I need to stop waiting until breakfast to eat…" she said to herself and the mouse pretended not to have heard. Elliot carried on, "But after he tells me about the curse, what will we talk of then? I don't know him at all." She suddenly stopped pacing. "Oh, poo, I've been rambling." She sat down on the bottom stair and groaned.

Carol was giggling as she climbed up the stair and perched herself on Elliot's knee. "You and the master are more alike than you think. You're almost as nervous as he is!" Elliot frowned and a blush painted her cheeks, though she didn't know why she would be embarrassed.

'_Because he cares for you,' _the horribly honest voice said. '_And you think it might be possible for you to care for him…'_

She shook her head. Of course it was possible. But that meant nothing.

'_Are you sure?'_

Before she could think of an answer, Carol hopped off of her and she heard footsteps coming from behind her. She jumped to her feet and saw the beast coming down the stairs towards them, straightening his jacket. His claws were trimmed and they did not tear at his fabric.

He froze when he saw her. He dropped his hands immediately and tried to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat. He wanted to tell her that she looked beautiful, but his forked tongue didn't want to move. _'Really, speaking creatures should not have to endure having thin, forked tongues.' _

Elliot was handling herself better, considering she was just as nervous as the beast. She smiled at the beast. "Thank you for inviting me to breakfast," she said. "I hadn't realized how hungry I was."

He nodded once and Carol, who had climbed the stairs to him, nudged his clawed toe with her nose and he made his way to the foyer. "I do not wisssh for you to be treated like a prisssoner and ssstarve," he said. He regretted his words. Why did he bring up her imprisonment?

She said, "This is much better than being in a cage and asking for a piece of crust and some water. I even have a room and clothes of my own. You really are the best captor I've ever come across."

He looked up at her, not knowing if she was trying to be funny or if she was being sarcastic. Judging by the smile on her face, he took it to be a joke and he let out a nervous, slithery laugh. He tried to think of something witty to say in response, to keep the joke going and to keep her smiling, but it took too long for him to think of something.

"Breakfast is ready!" Michael hollered as he threw open the doors. He looked surprised to see the two standing there, Elliot rubbing her ears. The centaur merely nodded to them before clip-clopping his way back to the kitchen.

The beast gestured for her to head in and she went into the dining room and sat down at the table. Unlike before, there was no assortment of food to choose from on the table. There was simply his plate and hers, all ready covered in food. The plates were more like platters and Elliot thought that there was enough food on her plate to feed three people.

They were both very hungry and didn't bother to try and be polite about it. They dug in and couldn't find the time between bites to say a word.

Which suited the beast just fine. He still did not know how to approach the topic of his curse. There were some things that the curse would not allow him to talk about. If the witch's curse didn't mention it than it was fair game. Only, he was never sure of how many rules the witch added along the way, after she had cursed him. She never let him say a word. For all he knew, it could be her curse that kept him from speaking, or it could just be the witch's current power over him. Which was nonexistent now.

He was a little scared, though. If he started talking about something the curse wouldn't allow, it would hurt. It was almost as bad as the witch torturing him, making it hard to tell which rule he had broken, the witch's or the curse's. He didn't want to look weak around Elliot. Carol had told him that she had sat by his bedside for as long as she was allowed. She had fawned over him too much already. What little pride he had wouldn't allow her to do any more fawning, despite how much he appreciated it.

Elliot slowed down, telling herself that if she didn't she would stuff herself. The beast was still eating. When he noticed that Elliot was no longer too occupied with her food to notice him, he paused and leaned back in his chair. He had been hunched over the plate and had been shoveling food into his mouth. _'A lizard resembling a pig…'_

She looked away, realizing his discomfort and went back to eating. When she was done, she wiped her mouth on her napkin and then looked up to the beast again. His plate was nearly empty and he was nibbling on a piece of bacon. He was looking off to the side, his impossibly dark eyes lost in thought.

It was a little strange how human everyone here was. Of course, they had been human once, but it was still easy to read their emotions and thoughts in their eyes. Even the beast's pitch black eyes could be read. It was most likely because none of them were _really_ animals. They were all human underneath their fur and scales.

"Why is the witch gone?" Elliot asked. The beast's head snapped up, being brought from a daze. "You said she was gone earlier."

He nodded his head once. "Indeed I did…" He stood up and said, "Would you like to talk a walk? I will tell you about the curssse assss we go."

She nodded and stood up, following him out of the dining room and down the hall. They were both silent and walked slowly. He took her down a hall she wasn't familiar with and when he opened the door at the end, she was taken into a beautiful garden, more lush and vibrant in colors than any Carol had shown her.

"This place is full of surprises," she said, stepping though the door. The path was cobblestone and on either side were thick, flowering bushes. The trees here were young, but their branches reached across the path and made an archway. She walked down the path, almost forgetting about the beast. There was a fork in the path and she couldn't tell which one to go to. She thought she heard running water and took the right one, thinking the sound had come from that direction. The beast followed her and grinned inwardly when he heard her surprised gasp.

She had stumbled upon a small pool. Lilies surrounded it and on the far end was a tiny fountain made to look like a waterfall. She sat in the grass by the pond. In the middle of this garden, she felt far away from the house and from any witch.

"This place is very peaceful," she said. "Why didn't Carol show it to me the other day?"

The beast sat on a boulder near her and looked down into the pond. There were some fish there and they greeted him and Elliot as they passed, but the girl was staring at the flowers across the pond and didn't notice.

"Thisss isss a private garden," he said. "I only allow a few to come in here. Carol musssst not have known if I would allow you in."

Elliot nodded. "It must be important to you." She couldn't keep still. She turned around to look at everything. She had never seen a garden so lush and calm.

"Yesss, it mussst be…"

This caught Elliot's attention and she turned to look at him. "You don't know?"

He realized what he had said and become flustered. He dipped a toe in the water, nearly scaring one of the fish to death as a claw came towards it. He had forgotten to take care of the claws on his toes, and to the fish, the one going towards it was like a long, sharp scythe. He pulled his foot back quickly and looked for another distraction. There were none, though. He could feel her eyes boring into him. Her curious, pleading eyes begging for an answer. He wanted to ask her, "Why? Why do you care so much? Why must you know about me?" But there was another part of him that was flattered that she would care.

"I…" he started and then cleared his throat. Elliot had turned her body to face him. The look on her face reminded him of a child begging for a story. She had to be ready for disappointment. "I do not remember anything from my passst life."

He expected her face to fall. She probably wanted to hear a grand tale about how he had designed and built this whole garden by himself. But she looked intrigued. "Carol said that, I think. You don't even remember your name…" Her eyes flashed, deep in thought for a moment before she asked, "If you don't remember, why is it so important to you now?"

She had so many questions! He wasn't used to people taking so much interest in him. Carol knew everything she could about him, and no one else in the household was that interested.

"When I come in here," he said slowly, not sure of how to phrase this without sounding insane, "I am reminded of ssssomeone. I don't know who… but there are ssso many feelingsss attached to thisss place… good feelingsss…." He felt so awkward talking to her when she looked at him like that. He tried to go on and not sound so foolish, "I think of ssssomeone laughing, and running through the garden. It'sss the mosst I remember from my passst, and ssso I hold thisss place clossse to my heart."

He looked over at her and was surprised to see her smiling, and relieved that he didn't find any pity in her eyes.

She turned to face the pond, resting her chin in her palm. "It's probably someone in your family," she said. "The person you hear smiling." She grinned. "The place I hold close to my heart is my father's roof." She looked over at him and saw a confused look in his eyes. She grinned and looked back to the water. "Not as grand as this garden, but we went there every night. When I was young, we would have picnics on the roof. It wasn't flat, so we had to be careful and not let the food slide down to the ground." She switched positions, leaning back onto her elbows. "We would watch the stars, and sometimes he would read to my from the roof. He brought his silly headlight with him and read me fairy tales. It sounds silly, but I loved that roof."

The beast shook his head. "Not at all sssilly." She looked at him and he fought the urge to look away, embarrassed yet again. "Many fond memoriesss are attached to the… erm… to thisss roof." Her smile was growing wider. He remembered talking to Carol of all of his faults. She had told him that if Elliot was the one, then she would love him for it. He was clumsy and tongue-tied, but it just made her smile.

"We had the best times on that roof…" Her smile faltered and she looked away from him, but not fast enough. He caught her sad expression and he felt horribly guilty.

"I am sssorry. I did not mean to force him out ssso…"

She shook her head, her wild curls swaying. "No, no. It's okay. I wrote to him so he knows that I'm fine and that you're not the evil kidnapping lizard he thought you were." She stiffened and turned around. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean…"

But he was laughing his soft, slithery laugh. "I appreciate you telling him that," he said. She smiled as well and then looked to the pond once more. They both fell silent, but it wasn't uncomfortable. In the past few minutes, they had connected and the feeling sent the beast's heart to hammering again. He hoped Elliot couldn't hear it.

After a few more minutes of silence, long enough for his heart to calm down, he said, "The witch did posssesss me." Elliot turned to face him again. "When ssshe cursssed the houssssehold, she became a part of me. During the winter, ssshe becomesss too weak to ssstay in me and ssshe leavesss. I don't know where her resssting place isss, but it isss either too far away or ssshe is too weak to have control in thisss housssse during the winter.

"Carol told you that ssshe was in me. Ssshe mussst have mentioned that sshe doesss not have complete control." Elliot nodded. "Good. Sshe took complete control the other day, which issss why I acted the way I did towardsss you and Carol. I had… provoked her." Again, Elliot nodded. He was surprised at how well he was speaking now. He didn't stutter or fidget with anything when he told her this story. And when he seemed uncomfortable, she didn't pry. He didn't want her to know exactly why she had taken control. "Taking control of me made her weak, but having to deal with the humansss wasss too much for her. Now, ssshe is resssting to regain her ssstrength. Ssshe isss not in me right now." He laughed a little. "We would not be having thisss conversssation if ssshe wassss." Something occurred to him and his eyes became troubled. "Why were there ssso many humansss there, anyway?"

Elliot filled him in on what she knew, which wasn't much. She just knew that Leo had planned it and Stuart had gone off to trick the humans into coming. How the cat did it eluded her, though.

The beast chuckled. "I ssshould have known…" He knew the mouse had been angry with his decision to avoid Elliot. It was smart of him to try and weaken the witch.

After a few moments, Elliot asked, "Are you the owner of this house?"

The subject change startled him. "Pardon?"

"The house…" she said, her face reddening. "Is it yours?"

He nodded. "Yesss, it'ss mine."

She nodded as well and looked at the pond. "It's very lovely…" She decided not to mention the name and what that meant. He would have no memory of the name, anyway.

"Would you like to ssse the ressst of the garden, Elliot?" he asked, standing up. She nodded and stood up, brushing the grass off of her. The path was too narrow for them to walk side by side and he insisted she walk in front of him, saying she wouldn't be able to see past his bulk, and he followed close behind. He would point out flowers and tell her their names every now and then, but she made little comments, too lost in thought to do anything but nod. "Elliot? Doesss something trouble you?"

She turned around, ready to say no, but instead she said, "Yes." He looked confused and hurt and she quickly added, "You know my name, and I have no way of knowing yours…" she trailed off here and then cleared her throat. She had called him Beast earlier when she thought he had woken up, but even then it felt wrong. And a small part of her knew he wouldn't hear her. "Carol told me that I should call you "Beast" but…"

He nodded in understanding. "You will not insssult me if you call me by Beassst." She opened her mouth to object and he said, "Really, I do not mind. I would prefer you call me Beassst than Massster or Sssir like the ssservantsss do."

"Okay… Beast…"

He could tell she felt bad for saying it, but he tried to smile and reached above them, taking a white flower from the tree above them and giving it to her. She took it and with a grin tucked it behind her ear. He was about to say something, compliment her, perhaps, but she suddenly turned and ran down the path. "I want to see the rest of this garden before lunch!"

-

The garden was huge, bigger than she thought it would be and it was well past lunchtime when they had finished exploring it. The beginning of the garden looked well trimmed and groomed, but the farther you got the more wild it became. They discovered long lost paths, hidden by vines, and she helped Beast unearth an old bird feeder. "Let'sss hope birdsss are not in there asss well," Beast had joked as he scooped dirt out of the shallow bowl.

It felt so strange to be talking to him like this. It felt like only a couple days ago that she had tackled him and beat him for kidnapping her father. And what else was strange about this was just how natural it felt. The thought itself was contradicting, but she couldn't keep it from her mind. She was seeing him less and less as a beast and more like a man. A shy, fidgety man. The thought wasn't scary or unsettling, it simply popped into her head as she looked over her shoulder to see if he was still there. She had spotted him with his head tilted back, taking in the warmth of the sun. His eyes were closed and she thought it strange that a kind, gentle man could hide under those scales. Since then, she began to wonder what he looked like as a human. She pictured a tall, thin, timid man, but somehow that image didn't suit him.

They had lunch in the garden. Beast had run back to the house, leaving Elliot on a bench and he came back with a basket the kitchen staff had prepared for them. The lunch was simple but amazing, as if the staff had poured everything they had into the food once they learned of how Beast and Elliot were faring.

Elliot told Beast everything she had told Oliver. She told him of her family, of her desire to please her father in spite of her own happiness. Beast had little to say on the subject of families, but was an amazing listener. He asked her about her sisters and didn't believe that they couldn't be close. "I don't know much, but aren't familiesss ssuposssed to be clossse?"

She nodded. "We were so different growing up, and I was the only one old enough to miss our mother. I mourned her death for a long time, and they couldn't understand my feelings, not having known her as well as I had. My father and I grew close together because we were mourning and Sammy and Marly grew close because they weren't." She paused in her eating and lowered her sandwich. "I never thought that before now." She smiled a little and took a bite of her sandwich. Beast was the best listener she knew. Very few people could ask questions and because of them cause the speaker to have an epiphany of sorts. Despite the dreary topic, a smile was on her face throughout the rest of the meal.

And Beast told her about his own realization from a few days ago. "Maybe I wasss clossse to them before," he said softly, speaking of his servants. "Carol and Leo are the only onesss who really ssspeak to me, though. The ressst… we have grown too far apart of the yearsss. I have been too moody for them to keep up with me."

"You're not so moody today," she said. "In fact you're almost pleasant for a beast." He laughed, amazed at her ability to keep him laughing. If anyone else had made that comment he would have been plunged into a pool of self-pity. "Why don't you try and connect with them again?"

"There are sssso many ssservantsss… it would take yearsss for me to connect with them all."

She grinned. "Okay… then start with Michael. He cooks the majority of your meals, so you wouldn't want to get on his bad side."

He laughed again. He couldn't remember the last time had had laughed so much, or the last time he felt so weightless and free.

They had both grown tired from their long walk and they began to head back. Elliot felt like they hadn't even discovered half of the secrets the garden held, but Beast promised her he would take her back tomorrow, and she made him promise that he would go talk to Michael as soon as they got back. "I have a pile of books I still need to read," she told him before he could object.

They parted once they were back in the hall and the walk to the kitchen felt horribly long. He wanted to go back and continue talking and laughing with her, but he had made a promise, so he went to the kitchens. Soon, he was playing poker with Arthur and Michael and his good mood rubbed off on everyone else.

-

Elliot twirled the flower in her fingers. It was simple and wonderful. What a strange, amazing day it had been. Beast had come into the library and went about lighting candles when he found Elliot reading in the dying light. "Your eyesss are too pretty to harm," he said. He froze, bid her a quick goodnight and nearly ran from the room.

She smiled and stood up. Her eyes were sore from reading so long and she was getting hungry. She was still twirling the flower in her hands as she made her way to the kitchen. She was oblivious to everything around her and didn't hear footsteps behind her.

She spun in a lazy circle, smiling down at her flower but then looked up when a shadow approached her. She let out a little scream and jumped back.

"Shh! It's only me!" Oliver cried, coming out of the shadows and putting a hand on her arm. "I meant to scare you a little… but not that much!"

Her heart was beating too fast and she took a moment to control her breathing. "It's what I get for daydreaming the way I was," she said. Oliver looked curious but she asked, "Did you get the letter?"

"Aye, I found it in the library and sent it a couple nights ago. I meant to find you, but after the fiasco I had to be keep an eye on the gate to make sure no one would come. What were you daydreaming about?"

She was afraid he would ask. For some reason, she didn't want to share her day with Oliver. It would feel wrong. It didn't make sense. She considered Oliver to be one of her closest friends at this house, so she didn't understand why she wouldn't tell him about Beast. He would be happy that she wasn't afraid of him anymore. She wanted to tell him, to gush about how beautiful the garden was.

But instead, she turned around, twirling the flower, and shrugged. "Nothing, really," she said. "Are you hungry? I was on my way to the kitchen."

He had a frown on his face but nodded. He noticed she still wore the beast's necklace and she was holding a flower. She had a silly grin on her face and his heart dropped. She was with the beast, and apparently she had a good time. A great time. He resisted the urge to sigh and fell behind slightly so she wouldn't see the pain in his eyes. _'It's for the best. You decided to give her up so the beast can have his chance to break the curse…'_

Knowing that another man, no matter who it was, had spent time with her and made her so giddy nearly drove him mad, though. He had no idea this would hurt so much.

They went into the empty kitchen and she went about making them sandwiches. Oliver caught sight of the picnic basket. "You went on a picnic today?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said, looking for the bread. "We had such a lovely time!" She realized what she said and immediately said, "White or wheat?" to try and cover it up.

He smiled and gently pushed her to the barstools. "I'll make us dinner." He picked up where she left off, gathering the rest of the ingredients. "It can't be healthy for you to eat so late," he said.

"I don't mind." She was looking down at her flower, but her face was no longer a smile. She was frowning and was trying to decide if she should say something. She asked slowly, "Do you know who Mason Scott Powell is?" she asked. He was the owner of the house, and Beast said he was the owner of the house, so it only made sense that Beast was Mason. But she wanted to make sure…

Oliver looked up. "Where did you hear that name?" he asked, too sharply, for Elliot flinched. "I'm sorry. You surprised me."

She looked uncomfortable and she fidgeted in her seat. "I found a room full of boxes and I saw the deed for this house and it had that name on it. I didn't mean to snoop."

He smiled at her and she relaxed. "Don't worry about it."

She looked from him to the flower and then back. "So… who is he?"

"Mason Scott Powell?" Elliot nodded and he handed her a plate with a sandwich on it. "He's my father."

--

A.N. – Whoa, that took a long time to write. I wrote the beginning months ago but couldn't bring myself to finish it off. I'm so sorry I made you all wait so long. Again! I hope the Beast and Elliot interaction helped make up for it, though.

And, just out of curiosity, I'm wondering who your favorite character is. I'm personally a fan of Oliver, but that's just me. I know almost every author on this site asks, but I couldn't resist.

Thanks SO MUCH to samkay, Allergic-to-Paradox, Thai Libre, laurashrub and shortstef for your reviews. They helped me finish off this chapter. I hope you enjoy!


	15. The Witch's Tale

A.N. – I don't own Beauty and the Beast, but this retelling of it is my own creation.

Chapter Fifteen

The Witch's Tale

Eric Dawson had a lot of loose ends to tie before he could leave for New York. He was not as spontaneous as Elliot was, after all. He couldn't just disappear and leave everyone wondering what had happened to him. So he told them that an old friend of his who lived in New York had died and that he had to attend the funeral. He wore a somber, crestfallen expression and all the girls ate it up. He had never received so many phone numbers as when he was in "mourning". He handed them all to James, having no interest in the girls whatsoever.

"What's so great about Elliot?" James asked once again, going through the phone numbers he had. "Her body is average, really. And she always has this far off look on her face… like a part of her isn't really here."

Eric rolled his eyes. He hated it when James tried to act smart. "She's the one girl who said "no" to me, James. She's the only one who didn't want me. I have to have her! It will drive me mad." They were walking through campus and Eric had to be careful not to look too excited about leaving. His friend had just died. "And keep your voice down. I'm going to a funeral, not hunting down Elliot, remember?" he hissed in James' ear.

"Right, a funeral."

They went to Eric's car the he got in, but told James to stay. "I'm running one last errand before I head home and pack. I don't need you at my side every waking moment." James didn't move and looked as if he were still waiting for Eric to unlock the passenger door. "You're a moron," Eric said under his breath and then sped away, heading back to Mr. Miller's house.

He checked up on the old man every day, feigning interest in his health and personal life. He sometimes brought comfort food, knowing the man missed his daughter and would need cheering up. He had to act like he cared if he wanted the man to trust him. He knew something about Elliot's whereabouts, and if Eric could learn that little bit of information then it would make his job a whole lot easier.

He bought pumpkin bread on his way to the house and parked out front. The old man was sitting on his porch, a pile of mail at his side and a letter in his hand. His weary face was spread wide in a grin and he almost missed Eric's appearance.

Eric cleared his throat and Roger looked up. "Oh! I didn't see you there." The smile fell from his face and he slipped the letter in with his mail, but Eric had caught one, simple word from it that made him smile. Daddy.

"I brought you pumpkin bread today, sir." He handed the man the small box and sat next to him, the mail between them. Roger took the mail and pumpkin bread and stood up.

"That was very generous of you, Eric, but I can't entertain today."

Roger turned away and went into the house. Eric's eyes darkened and he grit his teeth. The man still didn't trust him! Even after days of visiting and dotting… he had been charming and caring. Could the old man see through him that easily? _'Like father like daughter…'_ But he would gain his trust, and his daughter's, in time.

Eric stood and followed him to the door. "Oh, I won't stay long, Mr. Miller. I was curious, actually, if you had any news on Elliot. I'm very worried about her, and I'm sure all of her professors are as well."

The old man nodded. "Yes, yes, they were. They've called and I told him that she had dropped out. They must not have gotten the letter. No, Mr. Dawson, there's nothing to worry about. Elliot is on vacation now and having a splendid time."

Eric looked at him closely. His eyes were brighter and he didn't seem as tired as he usually was. Maybe Elliot was fine and dandy, but there was still something the old man wasn't telling him.

He looked past Roger and saw a suitcase near the door. "Are you going on vacation as well?" he asked, gesturing to the suitcase.

The old man looked down and then closed the door farther, blocking everything but himself from view. "No, not anymore."

Eric frowned, truly confused. Perhaps it was Elliot's letter that made him decide to stay home.

Roger _had_ been planning on going to get Elliot back. But once he read her letter, he knew that she didn't need rescuing. Her handwriting was steady and clear, so she had not been pressured into writing it. It had been completely sincere. He still worried over her, but he knew that she would be able to pull through.

He had taken the liberty of telling the head master of her college that she had dropped out. If she didn't pay the next semester's tuition, then they would have taken it onto themselves to kick her out of school. Besides, Roger knew that she had never wanted to go to college, anyway. He didn't want her to live up to his expectations anymore, and he didn't want to get in her way of living her own life, so he did not go after her. He knew she would have wanted to leave the school, but he still felt a little bad about taking it into his own hands. But he promised himself that it would be the last time he meddled in her life.

Eric was still watching him carefully. "If you'll excuse me Mr. Dawson, I have to go unpack." With that he shut the door and Eric stood on the porch, looking confused and angry. He pulled at his dark hair and growled. Nothing was going as planned!

He knew Elliot was in New York City, but that didn't help at all. He could wander the city for days and not be able to find her. He needed some kind of clue, anything that would help him find her. He could ask everyone he ran in to if they saw her and, even if they had, they might not remember her. He had waited too long and now she was lost.

He went back to his car and drove towards his own house. "No, I can't give up! I WILL find her!" He looked at the clock on the radio and cursed. He had to be at the airport in two hours and he wasn't packed.

He sped the rest of the way home, threw clothes in a suitcase and sped to the airport. He would find her and he would finally make her his.

-

Elliot's jaw dropped at Oliver's words. "Your father?" she asked. Oliver looked up from the sandwich he was making for himself and nodded.

"Yes, Mason Scott Powell is, or was, my father." Elliot just looked more confused and he smiled, sitting next to her at the bar. "I don't know if he was cursed or not by the witch. If he wasn't, then he would have died of old age a very long time ago. If he was… well, then he's probably one of the creatures here."

Elliot wanted to laugh, though she was far from amused. She was almost hysterical, actually. She took a bite of her sandwich instead and avoided his gaze. The same feeling that she had gotten when reading the name came over her. It was unsettling and it bothered her. Did it matter that Beast was Oliver's father? She hadn't thought of him as old. There was something in his voice and eyes that made her think he was still young. But now she learned he was old enough to be her father.

Again, she felt like laughing. From what Oliver said, both he and Beast should have been old enough to be her great, great grandfathers, at least. She was curious to know how long they have been curse, but another part of her didn't want to know.

She took another bite of her sandwich, still lost in thoughts. Was it bad that Beast was so much older than she had originally thought? She looked down at the flower he had given her. Oliver was speaking to her, but she was so lost in thought. It wasn't as if he had any romantic feelings for her, or she for him. She didn't think she could date a man who was her father's age. But that's not what he wanted, so what did it matter?

"And then maybe we shall go running naked through the yard," Oliver said, his tone thoughtful.

Elliot looked over at him. "I'm sorry. I was spacing out. Did you say something?"

Oliver laughed. "I was asking you about the picnic you had gone on."

"Oh…" Elliot said. _'The picnic with his father…' _Why did she feel disappointment when she thought this? She had been staring at the flower, but now she couldn't stand to look at it. What had she been thinking? That they would find a way to break the curse and live happily ever after? It was silly of her. She spent one day with Beast and she was falling head over heels for him.

'_I'm not!' _

It wasn't the curse that was making her deny it, or even his age. Though it did unsettle her a tad to know he was probably her father's age. It was the fact that she didn't belong here. She lived on the other side of the country with her father and she was content with her life there. She had classes she had to go back to some day. When all of this was over, she would bid them all goodbye, promise to write and then she would go home.

'_When all of this is over…This witch needs you for something and you think it will just take time for her to let you leave? If she had it her way, you'd be dead. Really, Ellie. You have bigger things to worry about!'_

She set her sandwich down. A knot had formed in her stomach and her throat had tightened. What an idiot she had been! Prancing off through the garden when she could be using this time without the witch to try and figure out the curse.

She told herself that she had to put all the fun and games aside so she could find a way home, but the truth was that she wanted to help Beast, Carol, Oliver and everyone else. If only she knew more about the curse…

Oliver finished his sandwich. Elliot had eaten half of hers before she had just put it down and stared at the far wall. She was lost in thoughts and a frown crinkled her brow. He didn't bother her or joke now. She was too tense for that.

He waited for a few minutes, hoping she would come back, but her thoughts just grew more troubled and he couldn't stand seeing her look so sad and frustrated. He turned in his seat so he was facing her and took one of her hands in his. She jumped at the contact and turned to face him, blinking her eyes.

"Elliot… please, tell me what's bothering you. If there's anything I can do to take the frown off your face, then tell me."

She smiled a little, but looked away, thinking once more. Still looking away, she asked, "What can you tell me about the witch?"

Oliver wasn't expecting that. He frowned as well. "The witch?" She nodded once and he stood, letting go of her hand. He didn't know how much he should tell her, or how much he could. The curse might not allow him to speak of it. "Why do you want to know?"

Elliot rolled her eyes and her expression turned annoyed. "She's out to kill me, Oliver. Now that she's gone for a little while I want to figure out why and if I can stop her."

"You mean… you want to _break_ the curse?"

She nodded. "Yes, that's the plan."

"Why? It isn't just because the witch is after you, is it?"

Her head snapped up to stare at him. "Of course not." He continued to stare at her, waiting for more of an answer and she looked away, her cheeks reddening. "I want to help you all."

Oliver sighed and sat back down. "Especially the beast…."

Once again, she looked up at him sharply and that was all he needed for an answer. "N-not _just _him. I want to help you and Carol and everyone else. But you have to admit he does have it a bit rough. Well, him and Michael do. Everyone else is something that really does exist in this world, but Michael's a centaur and Beast… he's like a miniature T-Rex! And the witch… she hurts him constantly, doesn't she?"

"Yes, she does…" He couldn't believe it. She was falling for him. The more she spoke about the beast, the redder her cheeks went and the more determined her expression became. She was falling in love with the beast. He should have been happy for them, but all he could feel was his heart breaking.

He got up, moving away from her. He couldn't tell her how to break the curse, the witch wouldn't allow it. But if she knew anything about fairy tales, curses and witches, then she should know that only true, mutual love could break the curse.

"I don't know how to break the curse," he said, knowing that that would be easier understood than, "I can't tell you."

Her face fell a little and he wished that he could tell her. But if he did, then it might ruin her chance of actually breaking it. It would be harder to fall in love with him if she knew that she had to. This was something she had to discover on her own.

"Then…" she started. "Can you tell me what the witch wants with me?"

He thought about it for a moment. He didn't think there was anything in the curse that would keep him from telling her about the witch. She deserved to know the truth. But a part of him didn't want to tell her. She would be better off if she didn't know about the witch. All she had to do was fall in love with the beast and everything would go back to normal. She would never have to know about the witch's plans.

"You should go to bed. You must be tired." He didn't look at her, but strayed near the door, itching to get out. "Tomorrow you can show the beast the library. He hasn't been in there for a long time."

She looked a little angry at his words and she stood up to face him. "Oliver, you're hiding something from me." He refused to look at her. "Please… I need to break this curse and this witch… she wants me dead, Oliver! How can I ignore that?"

'_You don't need to know about her to break the curse! Just love him like he loves you…'_

"Oliver, you know about her and I want to know too. Everyone has been secretive ever since I got here. Please, I want to know what this witch wants with me."

"You'd be better off not knowing!" he said, frustrated that she didn't understand how dangerous just knowing something could be.

"You want me to be ignorant about this? My life is at stake and you want me to read to Beast while I forget all about the witch?" He didn't answer, and he still refused to look at her. "Oliver, I won't take no for an answer."

He sighed. If she wasn't so passionate and stubborn then she wouldn't be in any danger at all. _'Or worse. The witch might have killed her when she found that Elliot was of no use to her…'_

"Finish eating, and then I'll take you to her roses."

Elliot stiffened, remembering what had happened when she first tried to touch them. The witch had made her freeze up and the worst kind of pain had spread through her.

"Don't worry, they won't hurt you." She looked skeptical, so he added, "The witch isn't _here _to hurt you. Please, eat something. You're skin and bones."

She glared at him, but his playful smile was back so her face softened and she sat back down to continue eating. When she was done, Oliver washed the dishes and then led her out the door to the witch's garden.

Elliot's eyes were drawn to the rose. The bush was small, and would have been easily overlooked if the large rose on it wasn't so beautiful. It really was the most amazing rose Elliot had ever seen.

The two next to it weren't as pretty, but after looking at them she noticed that they had a certain charm about them as well. One was small, just a bud, and pure white. The other was a very pale pink and had long, sharp thorns on it. There was something very strange about these roses. She felt them pulling at her, beckoning her closer. But she resisted and stood on the path, simply staring at the roses that gleamed in the moonlight.

Oliver went to the bush and caressed the red rose. "Beautiful, isn't it?" Elliot nodded. There was something in Oliver's tone that made her wary of these roses. "And this one, look at it," he gestured to the white one. "It's very young, so innocent." His hand went to the pink rose and he grinned. "Sharp as a tack, this one. But horribly boring…"

He spoke of them as if they were people, and the look in his eyes…. It was sad and regretful.

"They're all beautiful to the witch, because she needs them all. This one is smart, this one young, and this one truly is the most beautiful. But that's all they are. This rose is nothing but beautiful, this one isn't anything other than young, and this one is nothing but smart. Together, they have no fire, no strength, no personality."

Elliot's breath became shallow, her skin sickly pale. She stepped away from the bush, stumbling over a rock.

'_You are so strong and stubborn. It is why I need you.'_

'_How long will she last?'_

'_She'll be staying until the mistress grows tired of her.'_

'_She's the "Loony Beauty" the mistress was looking for.'_

"Oh God…" she gasped, staring at the roses as she continued to back away from them. Her head was spinning, her stomach knotted and churning. She felt so dizzy and sick.

"She needs one more rose…" Oliver said, still staring at the roses, a horribly guilty and sad look on his face. Elliot shook her head and fell back on the ground, gripping the wall. Oliver heard her and seemed to snap out of a daze. "Elliot!" He raced over to her and knelt beside her. She was shaking her head and tears ran down her cheeks. "Elliot…" He brushed the tears away and wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back to try and comfort her.

She couldn't look away from the roses. "I don't want to be there," she said. "I don't want to be like them." What had this witch done? Those roses… they _were_ people, once. A beautiful woman, a young, innocent child and someone who was very smart. "Why?" she asked, stifling a sob.

Oliver continued to rub her back, but she was still shaking and crying. He adjusted his arms, one under her knees, and picked her up, taking her back into the house. She didn't seem to notice, she just clung to his shirt and continued to cry. He took her to the library, knowing she would be calmer there, and set her on a couch. He thought he saw a candle being snuffed out, but ignored it and went about the room, pushing the curtains back to let in the moonlight. "I shouldn't have taken you out there," he said, kneeling down in front of her with his hands on her shoulders. "I'm sorry." He wiped tears from her cheeks, his fingers lingering a few moments on her warm skin before he stood and stepped away from her.

She had calmed down a bit, no longer sobbing. She hiccupped as tears ran down her cheeks silently. "I don't want to be like them," she said again, staring off in the distance over his shoulder.

"You won't be," he said. "We won't let her hurt you."

"They were people once, weren't they?" she asked, looking down into Oliver's dark, sad eyes. He nodded once and Elliot stiffened. "Why did she do that?"

He sighed and sat down in a chair opposite her. "I wish I hadn't taken you there…" he mumbled to himself. She had stopped crying now, but her face was still frightened, her eyes wide and her cheeks pale.

"I had to know," she said quietly. Oliver simply nodded. She would have pestered him until he told her, he knew. That fire was what made him and the beast love her, but it would be the end of her if she wasn't careful. "Tell me about the witch."

Oliver let out a long sigh. He didn't want to tell her any more about the witch than she had all ready guessed, but she had asked. "She came to this house a very long time ago. I think it has been about two hundred and some odd years. It's all too easy to lose track of time when you don't age and nothing around you seems to change much." He smiled, but she wasn't amused, her face still serious and frightened. "She came in the night and we heard the worst noises in the foyer. Like a howling beast had come. We went to investigate and she threatened us and told us to stay back and not let the light fall on her. But we did see her. She was… she wasn't human, Elliot. She was a horrible spirit, a demon. She snarled and howled as the light went on her and then she flew forward and…"

He paused here, his eyes downcast. Elliot looked up at him and saw that he was shaking a little. "Oliver?"

"Everything before comes and goes. And there's a long gap in my memory after the incident. She possessed the beast, and cursed us all. I remember waking up later… it could have been months or years later. I don't know. I felt so weak and wretched. I couldn't leave the grounds and I couldn't find anyone. It took months for me to find out what had happened.

"The witch was under her own curse. She was made into a bodiless spirit and to become whole again, she needed four things. Youth, a brain, a body and… a spirit."

Here, Elliot frowned. "I don't understand. She's a spirit all ready, why would she need a new one?"

Oliver shook his head. "Her spirit isn't whole. It was… broken. Hers is tarnished, she needs a new one full of spark and fire. She needs strength from this spirit."

She thought back to what he had said about the other roses and her eyes widened. "Me?" Oliver nodded. "But… I'm _not_ strong. Look at me, Oliver! I… I want adventure and thrills and the moment it's at me I turn into a sniveling mess. She has the wrong girl."

Oliver knelt before her again and took her hands in his. "Elliot, you are strong. I'm sorry… but it's the truth. You're perfect for the witch, as much as I hate to say it."

"I'm not," she said, shaking her head. She wished she was different, more docile and calm instead of a stubborn wanderer. Then maybe she wouldn't be in danger of being turned into a rose. She hated feeling weak, but she didn't want to be told that she was strong. The witch needed someone who was strong…

"You are!" he said firmly, squeezing her hands. "You came to rescue your father and you took his place, leaving everything you knew behind. You had the chance to leave this place forever, but you stayed and risked your life to make sure that the beast would be all right. You attacked him when you first met him! And you're looking past his claws and scales and seeing him for who he really is. And those spirits in the forest! You went through there and came back and defeated them. You see past people's lies and demand the truth, even if it comes at a high price. You go where the wind takes you, craving to see everything there is to see. All of that takes so much strength. You're stubborn as a mule, you're carefree, adventurous and passionate…" his hands weren't gripping hers so hard and were now caressing hers. "Elliot, you're perfect."

A blush crept up her cheeks. There was something in his eyes that unsettled her and piqued her curiosity at the same time. "Perfect for you or for the witch?" she asked quietly.

Oliver blushed and stood quickly, dropping her hands. What a fool he was! He couldn't just let her be, oh no, he had to go and praise her that way. He told himself that he couldn't help it, that she needed encouragement. He turned his back on her and went to the windows, looking out them at the stars in the sky. "Oliver?" she called. Why couldn't he say no to her? Tell her that she aught to go to bed and forget about their conversation? He was supposed to be distancing himself from her. What a lousy job he was doing. Again, she called his name and he rubbed his temples. "The witch sees you as a fire," he said, still facing the window. "That's all she sees in you, a spark of life that will fuel her when she is ready to break her curse."

"And you see everything else that you mentioned…."

She was driving him mad with her questions. "Of course I do," he said. "I'd be blind not to see it." He turned to face her and saw that she was looking at the ground, her eyes watery and confused.

"What are you saying?"

This was a bad idea. He couldn't go down this road with her, no matter how much he wanted to. Images of her swirled through his mind. Her reading a book, laughing at a silly joke, smiling up at him as they danced, her watching the sunset with a calm look in her eyes. He was in love with her. He couldn't lie to himself about that anymore. He tried to say that it was simply interest. She was, after all, the first human she had seen in years besides Silas. But it was more than that. They had the same yearning for adventure, the same need to wander and see the world. And she could calm him with a smile, ease his mind with a simple glance. Just looking at her made his heart beat wildly in his chest.

He had to admit that to himself. But he didn't, couldn't, tell her a thing. It would be selfish to tell her such things, and he couldn't let himself fall into false hope that she might feel the same about him. If he ever wanted this curse to be broken, then she had to love the beast. Only then would he be free of this house. Only then would he be able to live in the real world in the sunlight. The beast would become human and he and Elliot would be happy together.

And it would kill Oliver to see her in another mans arms.

"Just that you're exactly what the witch needs," he said quietly. "You're a smart girl, Elliot. I know you can break the curse and you won't have to worry about her. Your strength is what draws her to you, but you're strong enough to beat her."

She looked calm, but there was no spark in her eyes now. "You've had a long day. You should get some sleep and think about all of this in the morning."

She simply nodded, stood and left the library without a word. He watched her go, his heart aching. He wanted to tell her what he really felt, but he would doom all of them. If she didn't fall in love with the beast, then the witch would win and once her curse was broken, she would have no need of them anymore. Elliot would be gone, and they would be killed.

He couldn't afford to love her.

He heard footsteps and turned his head to see Silas coming towards him. "I was just enjoying a book when you came in, carrying the damsel in distress. Didn't you say that you would avoid her?" They had talked after Oliver went to give Elliot the flowers, and he told Silas that he had been a fool and that he couldn't interfere. He could understand why his friend was angry, he was depending on Elliot falling in love with the beast as well, but now, Oliver couldn't handle it. He had just given her up and it broke his heart to do so. He didn't need Silas to nag him.

"She needed help! She was distressed and worried…"

"Because you told her about those roses! Why did you do that? Now she'll be worried about her own skin and may be too distracted to even think about the beast."

"She was already worried about that! She knew from the start her life was in danger."

Silas scratched his neck and glared at Oliver. "And you just had to say all of those things to her? You go where the wind takes you, you're carefree, you're passionate… did she need to hear those things?"

"Stop it, Silas! I regret what I said to her, I do. But I won't be speaking to her anymore. I'll avoid her at all costs, this I can promise you. I'm not as selfish as you may think; I won't risk everyone's lives just so I can be with her until the witch comes back." Silas, who had moved on to scratch his back, still didn't look convinced. "I'll lock myself away at night. I won't let her come near me again and I won't make any contact of any kind with her. I won't write love poems for her and I won't leave her flowers."

Finally, Silas nodded. "Good." He had stopped itching and moved to stand beside Oliver, facing the window so he could see the yard. "You were never much of a poet, anyway."

--

A.N. – This chapter isn't as long as the last, but it's done and (relatively) typo free. Yay! Thanks to shortstef, Thai Libre and laurashrub for your reviews!

I hope this chapter answers some questions. I know Answer was asking about how the curse will be broken.

More on the "Beast is Oliver's father?!" conflict next chapter!


	16. The Wannabe Hero

A.N. – Thanks again for all of the reviews! And just to let you know, Elliot isn't in New York City, she's far outside of the city. Eric only thinks she's in the city because that's what the plane ticket said. He didn't know that once she went to the city she spent all day following a dog out of the city. Hope that clears some things up. And I know I keep having long gaps between updating so things might get confusing, but the youth, body and brain girls are described in Chapter Ten. I think they both need hugs as well, but that might have to wait a bit… Anyway, on with the story!

P.S. – I don't own Beauty and the Beast.

Chapter Sixteen

The Wannabe Hero

Beast paced up and down the hall just outside Elliot's door. It was almost noon, and she hadn't gotten out of bed at all. She hadn't refused to see him, but he couldn't bring himself to go inside. Something was wrong. He ran the events of yesterday through his mind, wondering where exactly he had messed up. Perhaps it was the last thing he told her, 'Your eyes are too pretty to damage'. Perhaps this had bothered her. Perhaps it had offended her in some way. Perhaps…

"Still not up, is she?" He looked down to see Carol by his feet, standing on her hind legs in front of the door. He shook his head and she wrinkled her nose. "I'll go in again and see if I can help. Don't worry, Master. I don't think she is upset with you."

"How do you know?"

She got on all four paws and went to the little hole in the wall that led into Elliot's room. "I just do," she said. She crawled through the hole and stumbled into Elliot's room. There weren't any candles lit, and the thick curtains were closed, leaving the room in darkness.

"Elliot?" she called, stepping forward. She saw movement on the bed and climbed up the bedpost. "Why are you still in bed?"

The girl had the covers pulled over her head so her answer was muffled. "I'm just thinking…" Carol went up to the head of the bed and lay down on the edge of the pillow. "How is Beast?" Elliot asked from under the blankets.

"He's worried, dear. You haven't eaten or gotten up at all today. From what he told me, yesterday seemed to go well for you both."

Elliot rolled over and pulled the blankets down just a bit so she could look at Carol. "It was… yesterday was… for the most part one of the best days I've ever had."

Carol hesitated before asking, "Why do you say 'for the most part'?"

Elliot shrugged, but Carol didn't want her to turn into the Master when she was upset. "I'll keep asking until you tell me, so you might as well get it over with, Dearie."

Elliot gave her a little smile then rolled onto her back. "Just some things have been bothering me…"

Carol snorted. "You made that obvious to everyone."

Elliot sat up quickly. "Everyone is worried, aren't they? Carol, I'm sorry, I…" she stammered, starting to get up.

The mouse bit her night gown, but Elliot wouldn't have noticed if she hadn't pinched her skin a bit. "Sorry… but it's all right, Elliot, you don't have to worry. Just sit down and tell me what's bothering you. You can't bottle it up forever. Just start with the smallest problem and we'll go up from there."

Elliot laughed a bit. "Next to the big problems, the small ones don't even matter."

The mouse shrugged one shoulder, making Elliot smile. "Which makes it easier to get those little problems out of the way. It's good practice for tackling the larger ones, too."

Elliot smiled once again and leaned against the headboard, thinking about what had happened yesterday. The garden had been wonderful, and the beast was… he was sweet. But she was still confused about his relationship with Oliver, even though her fear about the witch seemed to wash all that confusion away. But since she was starting with smallest problems first…

"Carol… is the beast Oliver's… erm… father?" She felt foolish asking that. What did it matter, anyway? Especially with the threat of being turned into a flower looming over her head.

The mouse giggled, then those giggles turned to full out laughter. "His father? Why do you think that?" Elliot told her about the deed she had found and then the conversations she had with both the beast and Oliver that would make her suspect they were related. The mouse calmed down, but still had an amused glint in her eyes. "No, the beast and Oliver are… very close friends. Mason Scott Powell was Oliver's father, but Mason passed the house on to the Master. Oliver had a wild spirit back then, much like yours, and the last thing he wanted to do was settle down and take care of a house. The Master offered to take care of it while Oliver was out exploring the world, and… well, Oliver never got the chance to reclaim his home."

Elliot nodded slowly, but she felt as if Carol was hiding something from her. Something about the story just didn't click right in her mind. She decided not to dwell on it, though. There were far more important things to discuss.

'At least I'm not infatuated with a man my father's age…' 

She blushed as the thought popped into her head and was relieved when Carol asked her what else was bothering her. Elliot told her everything that Oliver told her last night, and the humor seemed to seep out of the room the more Elliot revealed. Elliot was pale by the time she had finished, thinking about the three roses in the garden. "I have to stop this, Carol."

The mouse nodded. "I know."

Elliot pushed the blankets back and stood up to pace the length of the room, her fingers absentmindedly stroking the charm at her neck. "We have to find a way to break the curse that's on this household, but I won't be able to help you if the witch kills me. She needs to be stopped. She's all ready killed too many innocent people. … What will happen to her if she takes my spirit?" she asked the mouse. "It will break the curse she is under, so will she become human?"

Carol shook her head. "I don't know. She may have never been human to begin with. But if her curse is broken, then she will no longer need the master. You will be dead, and the rest of us will follow after you. She will be powerful and free."

"And dangerous, I'm sure. We can't let something like that out into the world." She hadn't stopped pacing and a frown was on her face. "How do you stop something that you can't see?"

Carol didn't say anything. She knew the girl was thinking. The girl was clever, and she was sure she would figure it out soon. The mouse knew she wouldn't like the answer to her questions, though.

"She's only a spirit, so she probably can't be killed. If Beast is killed then she might just find someone else to use." Her frown deepened and she began to drum her fingers on the bed posts as she passed them in her pacing. "But once she is whole again, then it might be possible to kill her." She turned to face Carol, a triumphant look on her face, but the look melted into one of despair. "So the only way for her to be killed is if she takes my spirit… and _I'm_ dead…" She fell onto the bed next to Carol and groaned. "There has to be another way."

Carol nuzzled Elliot's shoulder and sighed. "I'm afraid that there isn't, Dearie. But you don't have to trouble yourself with it now…"

Elliot jumped up at that. "Then when will I trouble myself with it? She'll kill me and then kill everyone else here if we don't stop her. She's done so much damage, Carol. We have to try and put an end to it."

The mouse climbed down the bedpost. "And we will. But right now the witch is gone. She cannot harm you or anyone else until she gains her strength back. You can't harm her now, and she can't harm you. So please… try not to worry yourself over it for now. Talk to the Master, he has been worried about you all day."

Elliot felt horribly guilty and she nodded. "All right. I just need to calm down." She chuckled at herself. "I've gotten myself worked up. I'll just take a bath and you can tell Beast that I'll meet him in his garden for lunch in an hour." Carol brightened at that and rushed out of the room to deliver the news.

-

Eric was tired and sore from spending nearly all day on a plane. He had a bag slung over his shoulder and Elliot's picture in his pocket. He had no friends in New York City, and until his parents sent him money, he had hardly any to spend. Despite this, he felt prepared to tackle the Big Apple.

He took a cab to a hotel and after checking in and dropping off his bag, he took another cab and demanded to be taking to the closest skating rink. There were too many in town for him to search in just one day, but he would check the skating rinks, the bookshops and libraries in hope that someone, anyone, had seen his Elliot.

-

The beast had a lovely lunch set up by the pool and was anxiously awaiting Elliot's arrival. Carol had told him that Elliot was not upset with him and his spirits had been lifted. But she had also told him what Oliver had told Elliot. Anger had flared up within him at that. He didn't want Elliot to worry and be scared. Carol said, "I suppose she had a right to know… but I admit his timing could have been better. Please, don't mention this to her. She shouldn't worry about it now. That time can come later. For now, just try and have a good time with her. And get her some food! The poor girl must be starving!"

He bounded off to the kitchen to have the cooks prepare the finest lunch they could. Soup, salad, fruits and cheeses were all provided and carefully placed in a basket. "Chocolatesss, there mussst be chocolatesss here!" the beast said, searching the kitchen. Michael found a small box of chocolates that weren't "too old" and they were put in the basket as well.

He had set up all of the food on the flat rocks bordering the pool and set a blanket on the ground for he and Elliot to sit on. He realized that he had forgotten a beverage and began to get up to fetch some water, but Elliot had arrived.

She wore a simple sundress that was a pale peach color that complimented the color of her skin. She was blushing from having rushed to the garden and smiled at Beast. "I'm sorry I'm late." She sat down on the blanket, tucking her feet under her and smiled at what she saw. "The food looks wonderful!" She helped herself to a small bowl of tomato bisque and Beast took the other one. He wanted to ask her if she was all right, but didn't want to upset her by bringing up this morning. But he couldn't act as if he knew nothing, either.

He stirred the bisque slowly and Elliot was eating a salad, having finished most of the bisque. "Beast?" she asked. He hadn't said a word since she arrived and his silence troubled her. "I… I'm sorry for worrying you this morning. I had a lot on my mind…"

The beast put his bowl down and after a moment's hesitation, he put his hand over hers where it rested on her knee. She looked up at him and he forgot what he wanted to say. "I… Carol told me why you locked yourssself up." Elliot blushed but didn't say anything. The beast's mind was racing. He knew he had meant to say something else, but all he seemed to focus on was Elliot's hand. It was warm, and her skin was soft. They were small hands, with long, elegant fingers. They were perfect.

He removed his hand from hers and said in a rush, "I j-jussst want you t-to know that I won't let any harm come to you. You have my word that I will protect you, Elliot." He looked away from her, embarrassment writ on his face. He wanted to tell her so much more, but he didn't have the courage to even look to see her reaction.

She had a small smile on her face. His hand had been cold and rough, but she hadn't minded at all. "Thank you, Beast. I want to help you break this curse, I really do. And I'd love it if I didn't have to die trying." The beast snorted a laugh. "But I don't know how to do it. I don't know how I can break your curse, and I don't know how I can get rid of the witch without dying. If she takes my spirit, then she will be whole again, and may die if you or someone else were to try and kill her. But, it may seem selfish… but I like living."

"And I don't wisssh for you to die." He smiled and looked up at her. "You're trying to be a hero, when you ssshould be relaxing. The witch won't be back any time ssoon. We have time to plan. Today you ssshould relax. Carol will be angry with me if you don't."

Elliot laughed. "All right, all right. I'll stop worrying about it, but just for today. Tomorrow I'll be driving everyone mad with all my worrying." The beast laughed again and Elliot looked in the basket to find fruits and a small box. "What's this?" she asked, pulling out the box. She opened the lid and grinned when she saw an assortment of chocolates there, just waiting for her to eat them.

"They're for you." Elliot didn't need any more of an invitation. She picked out a truffle and bit into it. It tasted wonderful, and it was amazing how chocolate could help calm nerves sometimes. She looked through the box and found one for the beast. After a bit of coaxing he ate it and spent the next half hour trying to get bits of nuts from between his teeth.

The two spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the garden. They didn't speak of the witch or the roses in their time spent together. When they were sure that they had seen the whole of the garden, the beast led Elliot inside and they explored the house. It was much more of a maze than the garden was, and Elliot was content to stay in the ballroom. "There's so much to this room… each window tells a different story, and look up at the ceiling! See all the intricate designs?" She circled the room slowly, looking at each stained glass window. "This one has a dragon on it!" she called to the beast, who was lighting a fire in the large fireplace. "And below the dragon is a little village. But the dragon doesn't look like he means harm. I think he's gentle. A protector." She looked over her shoulder at the beast and smiled. "Like you."

If he could blush, the beast would have. He smiled shyly and went back to lighting the fireplace, but he was a bit clumsy now. Elliot didn't notice. She jumped from window to window, excited to learn each story on the windows. Soon, the fire was lit, and the beast joined her in examining the windows. The sun had not begun to set yet, but it was far enough on its path that the designs from the west wall stretched across the white marble floor, painting it with the colors in the windows.

"This is my second favorite room," Elliot said, her fingers lighting running across the glass as she completed her circle around the room. "The library being my first."

The beast nodded his agreement. He was still feeling embarrassed and shy and couldn't think of anything to say. He didn't have to, though. The sound of a piano being played caught Elliot's attention and she smiled. "Who do you think is playing? Is it Oliver?"

The beast resisted the urge to bristle at the man's name. Did Elliot still fancy him? It was hard to tell, but then she turned to look at him and any thoughts of Oliver left his mind. "N-no… that'ss Michael. He enjoysss playing from time to time." The song was soft and sweet and Elliot seemed entranced by it. The curtains to the music room had been closed, so the sound was slightly muffled, but that didn't stop the beast from tentatively asking, "Would you… like to dance?"

She smiled and the beast thought he saw her blush. "I'd love to dance." She curtsied playfully and he bowed before her. He stepped forward and placed one hand on her waist then started to raise his other hand to hers. But he was not built to move that way. His arms were bent and short and his upper body horribly rigid. He couldn't raise his arm very high at all. "Lizardsss are not meant for dancing…"

Elliot smiled and took his hand in hers and placed it on her waist. "This style is a bit more modern, but will do just fine, I think." With that she wrapped her arms around his neck, moving surprisingly close to the beast to do so, and rested her cheek on his chest.

He was stiff at first, his heart pounding rapidly. This seemed to be more of an embrace than a dance. He could feel Elliot smile against his chest and she began moving her feet in slow circles. It was far from the grand, sweeping dances he knew. He could see people dancing across the ballroom floor on the edge of his memory. In this dance, they didn't seem to move from this spot, just slowly moved in a circle. It was strange, but he didn't mind. It felt comfortable to have Elliot resting against him this way. He gently bit his lip and pulled her closer. She smiled once again and he led them in their slow circled dance, feeling at peace with the world.

Hidden by the fireplace were two spying mice. One was giddy and the other confused. "What are they doing?" Leo asked. "She thinks that's a dance?"

Carol glared at him and said, "It's a dance in her world. I wonder what it's called… But look at how happy they are!" When they turned, they could see that Elliot had a smile on her face, her cheek still resting against the beast. And the beast himself had never looked happier. "Isn't it wonderful, Leo? He loves her, and she's falling in love with him. I suppose it helps her to know that he's not old enough to be her father."

"No… he's old enough to be her great-great-grandfather." Despite his cynicism, he had to smile a little when he watched them dance. "This curse will be broken soon, then?"

Carol laughed. "Yes! Yes, yes, yes! I can feel it, Leo!" They watched the couple dance for a few more minutes before running along the wall to enter the music room. On their way out, Carol said, "Keep playing slow music, Michael! The master and Elliot are enjoying it!" Michael seemed confused at first, but then smiled when he realized what she meant and played another slow song.

Elliot had never felt so safe before. The beast cared for her, and, she had to admit it, she cared for him as well. Images of him smiling at her, picking nervously at some food, speaking with Carol all filled her mind. She couldn't believe that she had feared and even hated the beast! He was nothing but sweet and generous and caring. She smiled and her arms tightened around him. She didn't want the dance to end.

The beast continued to lead them in small, slow circles. Everything about Elliot filled him with warmth. She distracted him from the rest of the world, so it took him a few minutes to realize that Michael had stopped playing. He opened his eyes and saw that the sun had begun to set. His eyes widened and he stepped away from Elliot. She blinked up at him, looking confused and adorable. "Beast, what's wrong?"

He shook his head. "Nothing iss wrong. It iss getting late…" Though the witch may be gone, some things didn't change with the curse. Just like he was still a lizard, so must he always be in the attic when the sun set. Oliver would met him there and they would speak for a few moments and then… his memory was always blank from sending Oliver off to speaking with him in the morning. He never recalled actually going to sleep, and rarely remembered actually waking up, either. That was how things had been since the witch cursed him, and a dance with Elliot couldn't change that. He could feel something pulling at him, telling him to leave Elliot.

"I musst go." He held one of her hands in both of his and said, "I don't want thisss day to end. I… I want to ssspend tomorrow with you. And the next, and the next…"

She gaped at him, at a loss for words as she tried to piece his hidden meaning together in her foggy mind. "I mussst go," he said again. "Goodnight, Elliot." He dropped her hand and turned to rush out of the ballroom.

"Ellie." The beast turned around and saw Elliot smiling at him. "You… you can call me Ellie."

The beast returned her smile. "Ellie… goodnight." He bowed and then fled the ballroom.

-

When weakened, spirits do not just disappear. They simply leave their anchors and drift along with the wind. They become weightless, useless, powerless things. Ghosts that cannot scare people, but can only watch and observe.

The witch's beaten, broken spirit traveled over the House of Rose. _'Fool! You fell right into their little trap… but they will pay when I have regained my strength. They think they are safe, but my strength is returning much faster than it has in the past. I will pounce when they least suspect it…'_

When the sun had set, she grew bored if listening in on conversations and thoughts in the house. That was the only benefit to being a loose spirit as she was. She could hear other's thoughts without being a part of them. From this, she had learned that the girl was more clever than she had thought. All ready she knew how to destroy the witch, but it would cost the mortal's life. _'Once I have her spirit, I will be too strong for any of those creatures to harm. If she plans on sacrificing herself to give them a chance at freedom, then it will only be in vain.'_

She let the wind carry her to the city, letting the thoughts from the creatures mull in her mind. Her pet loved the girl, and she was starting to return his feelings. She had to move faster. If the spell she made was broken, then they might actually have a chance at beating her. _'I can't let that happen…'_

She tried to think of something she could do to stall them. The thoughts and voices from the city were drowning out anything she thought, though. There were just so many voices! She began to move away from the city, but a particular thought she heard made her stop. It was broken up from the rest of the voices, but she smiled when she heard it.

'Elliot Miller… find her… I need her…' 

She wandered down to the city, trying to follow the voice. It was getting stronger. _'I will find her. No one from any ice rink I've been to has seen her… but I must find that girl! She's driving me crazy!'_

She eventually found the man in a hotel room, clutching a photo of Elliot in his hands. She looked over his shoulder, her ghost like spirit invisible to the man. Yes, that was definitely the girl she needed, too. She grinned to herself and soared out of the room. She memorized the room number and hotel name and went back to the House of Rose, searching for that cat. Stuart, she believed his name was.

The sun was just beginning to set and she found him in the gardens. She had just enough strength in her to enter his mind.

The cat froze as a chilling sensation crawled up his spine. He knew the mistress was _in_ him know. He felt as if he had been struck by lightning, but frozen at the same time. She didn't say anything to him, simply showed him a hotel in the city. In his mind he went inside and went up to the fifth floor to a the room 537.

'_There you will find a man who whished to find Elliot.'_

Her voice was horrible and made Stuart want to scream. A thousand nails were raking through his brain as she spoke. _'Bring him here. If you can convince a dozen humans that there will be a party here, then you can lure one stupid boy here as well. I want him here as soon as possible. Do you understand?'_

Stuart nodded. "Yes, yes! It will be done!" He would do anything if she would simply leave him in peace.

She laughed and the pain was almost too much for Stuart to bear. _'Good.'_

She left him, her spirit hovering over the house to regain her strength. Stuart, weak and terrified, crawled back into the house, the image of the hotel burned in his mind.

-

A.N. – Hey all! This chapter is for a friend of mind, hevytimes. I hope you all enjoyed it, and thank you all for your reviews!!


	17. The Reunion

Chapter Seventeen

The Reunion

Beast and Elliot had fallen into a comfortable routine. They would have breakfast in the dining hall and then they would go to the library. Elliot told Beast all about her favorite stories as a child and read passages from some of them. If Carol or Sye were present, then they would occasionally act out a scene from a play to amuse their friends. They spent lunch in the garden, and, if lunch wasn't eaten too late in the day, they took their dinners to the music room. Beast had once been able to play the piano and was trying to relearn it, but it was hard with his claws. It didn't stop him, though.

And each day at sunset, Beast bid Elliot a hasty farewell and then vanished.

She would wander the house, looking for the dog, Sye, or Carol or even Oliver, but no one was ever to be found. Things between her and the beast couldn't be better, but she did miss talking to Oliver at night and listening to him play the fiddle. After not seeing Oliver for a few days, she asked Carol about him. "Oh, he just vanishes from time to time, Dearie. Don't worry, I'm sure he's all right." Once again, Elliot felt as if Carol was keeping something from her. She was about to call her on it, but Michael had hollered for breakfast and once she saw Beast waiting for her, she forgot about her worries.

So, for the most part, things couldn't have been better for Elliot.

And things couldn't get any worse for Stuart. He put off doing the witch's bidding as long as he could, but he could still feel her presence nearby. She was getting stronger, and much faster than any of them had thought. They were all fools for thinking that they were safe. He watched the master and Elliot walk in the gardens and act out plays in the library. What idiots they both were! Couldn't they feel the witch growing more powerful with each day? Didn't they know that they didn't have much time left?

He didn't voice these thoughts aloud, though. Even before the curse, Stuart had always been a private person. He was even more private now that the witch had a task for him, though. He was skittish and tense, as if he expected her to pounce on him once again.

Four days after the witch came to him, someone else approached him. He was slowly walking down a hallway, thinking of when he would go find that boy, when a dog barked behind him. The cat yowled and jumped in the air before whirling around and smacking the dog on the nose with his paw.

"Don't ever do that again!" he hissed. His fur stood on end and his heart was beating much too fast. Sye just barked again and wagged his tail. "Don't play dumb with me, mutt. I know you understand what I'm saying." Once Stuart was calm again, he sat down and licked his paw. "Where have you been, anyway? No one ever sees you these days."

The large dog stretched and said, "Sleeping."

Stuart snorted. "If you didn't spend all night with that boy then you wouldn't need to sleep all day."

"He would go mad without company. Not everyone can stand solitude like you, Stuart."

The cat just continued to lick his paw. Sye watched him and then asked, "Why have you been so skittish lately? Everyone has been talking about it. They think you're up to something."

"They're wrong, and I'm not. Now be a good lapdog and go to your master. It's almost sunset. He'll be worried if you're not there to keep him from going mad."

Sye looked out the window and sighed. It was indeed almost sunset. How he longed to go to sleep at night like everyone else. Everyone but the master, that is. "Whatever you're doing… just be careful, all right?"

The cat watched him go and then turned to look out the window. He couldn't wait any longer. He would find that human tonight.

-

No one had seen Elliot in any of the libraries he had visited. He had finished searching the ice rinks, and there had been no sign of her in any of them. Eric was losing his patience with the girl. Where could she possibly be?

"I won't give up," he said to himself. His parents had sent him money yesterday, so he had enough to stay for another week. His parents hadn't even asked what it was for, or why he was in New York. Eric snorted and shook his head, wondering what else he could get his parents to do when there was a knock on the door. He looked at the clock on the wall and frowned. It was almost midnight. Who would come knocking on his door this late? He looked out the peephole and sighed. No one he knew, and certainly not room service. The man had thick dark hair and wore a crisp black suit. His face was shaven, but from the peephole, Eric couldn't tell much else about him. He was tempted to ignore it, but the man knocked again.

Eric opened the door a crack, enough to see the man properly. He was tall and wiry and had very pale skin. His eyes were the strangest shade of green and he had a cat like smile on his face.

"A little birdy told me _you_ were looking for someone." At 'you', the man practically jabbed Eric's chest with his finger. Eric stepped back, his frown deepening.

"Who are you?" Eric asked.

The man laughed slowly and said, "It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is that I know where your lady friend is. Does the name Elliot Miller ring a bell?"

Eric's hand tightened on the doorknob. "What do you know about her?" he said through gritted teeth. "Are you holding her hostage? Have you hurt her?" His voice was getting louder and his face red with anger.

The stranger just laughed again. "No, no, you have me all wrong, sir. She is safe… for now. But we must move quickly. She may be in grave danger…"

"How do I know this isn't a trick?"

The man smiled once again, showing off all of his pearly white teeth. Before, he had a hand behind his back, but now he showed Eric what he was holding. It was a dirty blue sweater, with holes in the sleeves and paint stains on the front. "She brought nothing with her but this and those silly pajamas and slippers she wore. Does this look familiar?"

Eric nodded slowly and took the sweater into his hand. "She was always wearing this ugly thing… All right… we'll leave first thing in the morning…"

"No!" Eric looked up and was surprised by the angry look on the man's face. "We must leave now! And you must keep up if you wish to see her. I do not want this girl hurt, but there are others…" The man looked away suddenly, a worried frown on his face. "We may have wasted too much time as it is…"

Eric had no idea what the man was talking about, but none of it sounded good. "Okay, okay. Just let me get my shoes and I'll be right out." He closed the door and ran to grab his shoes. He had thought that Elliot had left just for a random vacation… he had never thought that she could be in danger! "You fool! An innocent, naïve girl like Elliot doesn't last long in the city…" He put on his shoes and sweater and met the man outside.

"Follow me, and you must be quick on your toes." The stranger turned and began to run down the hall. There was something strangely graceful about the way the man moved that bothered Eric. He was too quick, too graceful for a normal person. He ran after him, feeling slow and clumsy in comparison. They didn't take the elevator, instead the man ran down the stairs and was out the door before Eric had finished going down the last flight of stairs. Once outside, he saw the man rushing down the street.

"Wait! Slow down!" The man stopped at the next red light and waited for Eric, tapping his longer fingers on his thigh.

"I told you to be quick on your toes! We must hurry!" He didn't wait for the light to change before running across the street, weaving between the honking cars. Eric took a deep breath and followed, nearly getting run over three times. This had to be a trick, some sort of trap. If he didn't die trying to get… wherever it was they were going, then surely this man planned to do him in when they got there. But he still held Elliot's sweater in his hands. It was definitely hers. With another sigh, he ran faster to try and keep up with the strange man.

-

Elliot couldn't sleep. After days of staying up all night with Oliver, it was hard to get used to going to bed right after sunset. She got up and wandered the house, hoping to catch sight of someone, anyone. Oliver was no where to be seen, and everyone else seemed to always vanish at this time. They were all up at the crack of dawn and vanished at sunset. It probably had something to do with the curse, but she couldn't imagine what it was about.

She sighed and leaned against a door. She couldn't help but worry about Oliver. There last conversation had been so… odd. He made it sound as if he… as if he loved her. She blushed at the thought. She cared about Oliver, but she didn't think she could love him. A part of her could, but not in the same way she loved…

She shook her head, her cheeks bright red. "Stop it, Ellie…" She tried not to think of Beast or Oliver, and so her thoughts wandered to Carol. The mouse had been hiding something from her, something about Oliver. Everything she said about the man just didn't make any sense at all, and Elliot was content to ignore it because Beast would always show up. Whenever she began to worry, just thinking about him helped calm her down. She smiled, a dreamy look in her eyes before she snapped out of it. "I mean it, stop this!"

She turned around and, thinking she was leaning against the door to her room, opened the door. But it wasn't her room that was behind her. It was what looked like a storage room. The candle light from the hall illuminated only a small portion of the room, and that portion was packed full of crates. She looked up and down the hall. Her head must have been in the clouds as she wandered out of her room. She didn't think she had gone that far, but she knew every room in her hall, and this was not one of them.

She looked back into the room and decided to take a peek. She found candles on a crate just inside the door and lit them using the candles in the hall. It was a bit easier to see now, and she began to look through the crates. They were all filled with games. There were board games, a bag of marbles, pick up sticks, jacks and many other games. Venturing further into the room, she found a pool table, hiding under a dusty sheet. There was a dart board hung up on the far wall and a box filled with nothing but jump ropes. And behind one of the boxes… a pair of roller skates.

She gasped when she saw them and scooped them up. They were old and the leather was worn, but the wheels seemed to be in good enough shape. With a wide grin on her face, she sat down to put them on. They were too big, so she rushed around the room until she found some cloth to stuff into the skates. She put them back on and slowly stood up. She was used to ice skating, and these weren't even modern inline skates. They had four wheels, two in the front, two in the back, and one skate had a large, rubber break on the toe.

She was wobbly at first and had to cling to boxes so she wouldn't fall. Her nightgown was, thankfully, not too long so she wouldn't have to worry about tripping over it. She blew out the candles in the room, wobbling as he made her way to each one that she had lit, and then pushed off of the pool table, skating out the door. She turned sharply before she hit the wall, but fell over on her side as a result. She groaned, got up and then began to skate down the hall.

At first, she wobbled and bumped into walls instead of using her break. But before long, she was skating confidently through the halls. She knew she would be getting rid of all the scuff marks in the morning, but it was worth it for now. She just hoped she didn't wake anyone up.

The skates were silent and since she didn't stumble as much, she hardly made a noise. She turned down a hall and thought she heard voices. She slowed down as she approached the voices and suddenly she felt as if it was her first day here again. It was Carol's voice she heard, quickly followed by Leo's.

"Don't you think Stuart is acting strange? Sye spoke to him earlier, and he said that the poor lad was jumpy."

"Poor lad? How can you call him that? Stuart is a horribly mean creature who enjoys the suffering of others."

Carol sighed and said, "I don't believe that… but he is hiding something from us. Do you think the witch got to him?"

Leo didn't say anything at first. Elliot was holding her breath outside the door. She felt bad for eavesdropping, but she couldn't help it. Something was going on and since it had to do with the witch, she figured she had a right to know, anyway.

"I think it's possible that she could have done something to him. She's getting stronger, Carol. I was hoping that we would be able to make it through winter, but… with Elliot here, she's gaining her strength much faster than before. It has to be because of Elliot…"

"It's all right, Leo. I don't think we'll need much more time."

There was something different about their voices. They weren't as high and squeaky as they usually were. Carol had stopped talking and Elliot couldn't stay quiet forever.

"Carol? Leo?" She heard them gasp and scramble about, but they were making a lot of noise for just two small mice. "What's going on?"

"E-Elliot, Dearie! Please, go back to bed."

Elliot scowled. "Carol, tell me what's going on. You're been keeping secrets from me again, I know it."

"What have I told you about eavesdropping?" Leo asked, sounding very annoyed. "Now go off to bed! Go on!"

Elliot ignored him. "Carol, please. Is this witch going to come back soon?"

"I'll tell you what I know tomorrow, Dearie. After you and the master have lunch, we'll talk. Now go on, off to bed."

Elliot sighed and said good night. She knew better than to keep pestering Carol about it. She could be awfully stubborn when she wanted to. She turned around, looking over her shoulder to look at the door Carol and Leo hid behind. With another sigh, she turned and skated back to her room.

-

Beast came to meet her in the morning, just after Elliot had gotten out of the bath. And the first thing he saw were the skates at the foot of her bed. _'She's been exploring again…'_ He couldn't help but feel bad, though. She must get lonely, and bored, at night. He doubted she really needed to sleep from sunset to sunrise. "Where did you find thossse?" he asked her. She frowned and turned to look at the skates.

"Oh! I was wandering the halls again and I found these tucked away in a game room." She didn't tell him about her little meeting with Carol. She didn't even want to think about it, to be honest. She didn't want to think about anything bad with Beast around. "I'm pretty fast in them, too."

Beast saw the mischievous look in her eyes and smiled a little, just as much as a lizard could. "Really?" Elliot nodded and put her stocking-clad feet into the skates. "Are you proposssing a race?"

She smiled. "You said it, not me. But… since it's in the open…" She stood up and went to the doorway. "We start here, go left down the hall, then right, and then circle back to the foyer."

"If you want me to, I will go easssy on you…" Elliot mock gasped and then raced out the door. "We're ssstarting?" Beast hollered with a laugh and then ran after her.

Elliot was fast in the skates, but Beast was faster. He passed her in the hall but then slipped when trying to take a corner to sharply. Elliot nearly tripped over him, but turned just in time and went down the hall. Beast got up quickly and chased after her, but he had lost too much time. He watched Elliot turn into the foyer.

"I won! I…" He heard her gasp and Beast began to panic. In his mind, he saw her lying on the ground, hurt from falling or twisting her ankle. He ran faster and slid to a stop outside the foyer. His eyes went wide at what he saw. Elliot… in the arms of another man.

-

The strange man hardly stopped to rest and Eric had never been so tired in his life. They had left the city and instead of taking a cab, they ran through suburbia and then down the old, forgotten road. It was nearly sunrise when they arrived. Eric was sore, tired and very sweaty. The strange mad who led him there hadn't seemed to break a sweat. "Your damsel is in this house, but I must warn you, there are strange creatures in there. Dangerous beasts that will harm you if you just barge in."

Eric rolled his eyes, hunched over to catch his breath. "Buddy, I think _you're_ the strangest thing I'm going to come across today." He looked up, but the man had vanished. "What…?" Eric stood up and looked around, but the man was no where to be seen. The sun rose and he had to shield his eyes from the sudden light. His body ached from running all night and not getting any sleep, so he sat down to try and catch his breath. He wanted to rush in and sweep Elliot off her feet, but right now he was just too tired, and too smelly. He wrinkled his nose and hoped Elliot wouldn't mind too much.

He sat there until he had caught his breath and then he slowly made his way to the door. It was unlocked, so he simply pushed it open. The foyer was filled with light, and the rose statue glimmered in the corner of the room. He smelled bacon and pancakes cooking and went to investigate, but thought he saw something move out of the corner of his eye. "Ellie?" He heard laughter and walked across the foyer. The laughter was getting louder and louder and he smiled, sure it was his Elliot.

She turned a corner, racing towards him on skates. She was looking over her shoulder, though, and didn't see him. "I won! I…" He wrapped his arms around her as she ran into him. She struggled for a moment, confused, but then gasped when she saw him. "E-Eric… what are you doing here?"

He thought the answer was obvious, so he chose to ignore her question. He held her tight and spun her around, laughing as he did so. "I've been looking everywhere for you, Ellie!" He set her back down, but kept his arms around her so she wouldn't fall. "Look at you! The class tomboy is wearing a dress! Ellie, you look amazing…"

The beast watched this exchange and white hot fury burned in him. His hands were on her hips and the man had a selfish look in his eyes as he stared at Elliot. She was trying to push him away, but he didn't seem to notice. "I missed you, Ellie…" he said softly, leaning down as if to kiss her.

The beast couldn't take much more. He let out a low growl and charged forward, pulling Elliot away and then wrapping his claws around the boy's neck. He pushed him against a wall and hissed, "Don't ever touch her like that again, or I will rip your armsss off…" The man was staring at him with horror in his eyes. His skin had gone cold and pale and his mouth was hanging open in shock. Right now, Beast hated this man. How dare he come into his house and touch Elliot that way? He growled again and tightened his hold on the man's neck, feeling a strange pleasure when the man gasped and began to choke.

Elliot had fallen when Beast suddenly pulled her away and she got up and stumbled forward. "Beast! No!" She grabbed onto his arm and tried to pull him off of Eric. She had never seen Beast look this angry before, not even when the witch took control of him. He had a horrible, murderous look in his dark eyes the frightened Elliot. "Please, put him down! Don't hurt him!"

The beast snapped his attention to Elliot and he suddenly looked hurt. "Do you… care for thisss man?" he asked quietly. He didn't think he would be able to stand it if the answer was yes. All this time and there had been another man waiting for her back home…

"No!" She looked disgusted at the thought. "I think he's rude and despicable, but I can't just let you hurt him! You're not like that, you're not cruel, and you don't hurt people. Please, Beast… put him down…." Eric was having a hard time breathing now and was kicking frantically at the beast. The beast looked back at him and, once his anger and fear was gone, he realized what exactly he was doing. He set the man down and stepped back quickly, looking down at his hands. Eric slipped down to the floor, gasping for breath and Elliot knelt next to him to see if he was hurt badly.

"What have I done?" Beast whispered, still staring down at his hands. "I… I'm sssorry…"

Eric glared up at him and grabbed Elliot's hand, standing and pulling her to the door. She wobbled on her skates and tried to get him to stop. "We have to get out of here!" To the beast, Eric yelled, "Don't you dare hurt her!" He opened the door, but Elliot yanked her hand out from his, rolling back and grabbing the stair rail.

"No! I can't leave, Eric."

Eric stared back at her in shock and then gestured to Beast. "Ellie! Look at that thing! He'll tear you to shreds and then eat you if you stay! No, you have to come with me." He leaned forward to grab her hand again, but she skated away. "Ellie, this is no time for games! I'm not letting you stay here with that monster!"

She glared at him, her eyes dark with anger. "He is not a monster! Beast is kind and gentle… things you could never understand."

Eric laughed. "Gentle? Kind? He just tried to kill me, Ellie!"

The beast hadn't moved or said anything during this, but stood there, looking down at his hands. He had that saddest, most confused look on his face and it nearly broke Elliot's heart to see him that way. But he was deaf to their fight and in his mind he simply kept asking himself how he could have let himself hurt someone. _'I'm more like the witch than I thought I was….'_

"He won't hurt you, Eric," Elliot said, looking away from Beast and sitting down to take off her skates. "He may look frightening at first, but he has a kind heart." She stood and walked to the beast and took one of his hands in hers. "Are you all right?" she asked him.

Before he could answer, Eric had leapt forward, wrapped an arm around Elliot and pulled her away. "Don't touch him, Ellie!" He had a fearful look in his eyes, but there was something else there as well. A crazed, desperate look that made Elliot's skin crawl. "You're not thinking straight, so I have to do what's best for you!" He held her tightly and dragged her to the door, ignoring Elliot's protests. The beast ran forward and blocked their path. "Get away, you monster!" The beast grabbed Eric's arm quickly and yanked him off of Elliot. "Let me go!" Eric kicked at the beast and when that did nothing, he tackled him. They fell to the ground and Eric began punching the beast. "Run Ellie!" The beast tossed Eric off of him and then grabbed his arms, trying to pin him down.

"Michael!" he called, struggling to hold Eric down. Despite his long night of running, Eric was doing well for himself, struggling, kicking and punching when he could. Elliot ran forward and tried to keep his legs down, but it was as if Eric was a trapped animal, blind to everything and wanting nothing more than to escape. He kicked her in the jaw, causing her to fall back on her elbows. The beast growled and fought harder to keep him pinned down. "Get back, Ellie!" the beast called when he saw that she was getting up to try and help once more. "Go get Michael!"

Elliot nodded and ran out of the foyer, through the dining room and into the kitchen. The birds were singing a tune, and everyone seemed more cheerful than usual, even Michael had a skip in his step. "Breakfast isn't ready yet," he said when he heard the door open.

"It's not about the food!" Elliot yelled. "Beast needs help! Quick!" The creatures all stood there, unsure of what she meant. It couldn't be the witch, they all would have known if she was strong enough to take over the beast again, so what else would pose as a threat to him? "Please! You have to hurry!" Michael was the first to follow her out, and then the gorilla, Arthur, ran after them and the rest of the animals followed suit. Once they reached the foyer, both Arthur and Michael grunted in anger and charged forward. Beast and Eric were still wresting on the ground, but they picked Eric up and didn't seem to mind his thrashing. When Eric noticed what was holding him up, though, he froze.

"E-E-Ellie?" he stammered, looking from the gorilla to the centaur and then to the large, talking lizard on the ground. He couldn't seem to handle it anymore and with a groan, he passed out and he went limp in Arthur and Michael's hands.

Elliot ran to Beast and helped him up. "Are you all right? I'm so sorry, Beast… I didn't think he would follow me here."

"It'ss not your fault," Beast said carefully. "And I am all right." He straightened his jacket nervously, looking down at the boy. He knew what had to be done with him, but Elliot wasn't going to like it. She may have said that she thought the boy despicable, but she still had a kind heart. _'She thought you did, too…' _He sighed and said, "Take him to the dungeon… where Elliot's father had been locked up."

Elliot frowned and watched as Michael and Arthur carried Eric down the hall. She shook her head and looked back up at Beast. "No… you can't do that! Please, just let him go, he won't come back, he's too scared."

"He will tell othersss what he sssaw…. More will come." He couldn't look at her and see the hate she must be feeling for him now. "I do not want to do it…"

"Then don't! Beast, don't! He doesn't deserve it, he was just confused and worried, please! He may be arrogant and foolish, but he shouldn't be locked up!"

"But there isss no other way," he continued as if she hadn't spoken and still wouldn't look directly at her. He focused his attention on a spot on the wall above her head. "We cannot risssk him leaving and bringing more people here."

Elliot was shaking her head and her eyes were beginning to water up. Once, she wouldn't have minded if someone were to lock Eric up. But now, she couldn't stomach the thought of locking an innocent person in a cage. He did nothing wrong, he just did what any other scared boy would have done. "Please, Beast. I'll make sure he doesn't tell anyone, he won't do it if I tell him not to, just don't lock him up!"

He shook his head and then turned to follow Michael and Arthur down the hall. "I don't trussst him not to talk."

Elliot ran to catch up with him. "And you don't trust my word, either?"

He stopped and turned to look at her, and tried to take her hand in his, but she stepped back, an angry and hurt look on her face. "Ellie… I didn't mean… When the witch comesss back ssshe may make him forget…"

"No! No, she won't!" Elliot yelled, tears now running freely down her face. "When she comes back, I'll be _dead_ and she won't have any reason to keep you, Eric or anyone else here alive!" She pressed her palms to her eyes to try and keep from crying. Beast stepped forward and rested a hand on her shoulder, but she shook his hand off and stepped back. "The witch is the one that kidnaps people and locks them up. Not you." She pushed past him and ran down the hall.

Beast watched her go and with a sigh he turned around and saw most of the kitchen staff in the foyer watching him. They jumped and went back to the kitchen when he saw them, but he paid them no mind. Elliot's words rang in his mind, over and over again, taunting him. He didn't care that he would never be rid of his curse now… all that mattered was that Elliot hated him.

He sat down at the foot of the stairs, wondering if there had been any other way. The boy, Eric, would surely have told someone what he saw. He would have convinced more people to come, and then… he didn't want to think of what would happen next. But now that Eric was trapped here, he didn't know what to do with him.

"It's not your fault."

He looked down to see Carol at his feet. He looked away and she climbed up the banister until she was eye to eye with him. "It isn't. There was nothing else you could do with the boy. Elliot just doesn't see it that way. Just… give her time."

"Carol… we don't _have_ time. You think I haven't noticed? The air isss getting colder and you can feel her presssence in thisss place again. The witch iss coming back ssoon and Ellie hatesss me…"

"I don't think she hates you, Sir… Talk to her later today once she has had time to calm down, and try again to show her that this is the only way. And please, try to think of what you'll do with that boy. He can't stay here forever, and Elliot is right. We cannot hope that the witch will simply make him forget and send him on his way."

Beast groaned. "I know, I know…" He stood up and looked back down the hall again. "I do hope that ssshe underssstandss…"

-

A.N. – Bad spot to end, I know, but I was afraid I would continue on and on and on if I didn't stop soon. Thanks again for all the reviews! And there is a reason for the beast's strange "sleep" schedule. I'd be a plot ruiner if I said it now, though. I didn't know that about lizards, geckogirl. Thanks for the information, and I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!


	18. The Confession

Chapter Eighteen

The Confession

Elliot sat on the steps just outside the cell. Eric hadn't woken up yet, but she would be there when he did. She never liked him, but she knew it would be hard for him when he woke up. It might help him if she was there to explain things.

She also wanted to try and get him to promise not to speak of what he saw. He couldn't just rot in that cell for the rest of his life. She had to convince him that Beast really was good. She knew he was, despite having locked Eric up. She sighed and rubbed her temples. She didn't want to think about it…

She heard a groaning from inside the cell and stood up quickly. The only light in the room came from under the door at the top of the steps, making the place feel eerie. The walls were close together and the stone was damp. The thick wood door of the cell had splinters on it and the bars over the small, square window on the door were rusted. It was not a cheerful place to be, to say the least.

Her eyes had adjusted to the lack of light and she saw Eric stand up. "Eric? Are you all right?"

He groaned again and leaned against the door, grabbing onto the rusty bars for balance. His face filled the window and his nose stuck out between two of the bars. "Ellie? That you?" His voice sounded slurred and he laughed. "I've been looking everywhere for you! What are you doing here? I told James I would find you and make you mine… I was right! You're here to bail me out, aren't you?"

Elliot's brows furrowed and she shook her head in confusion. "Eric… what are you talking about? Beast locked you up, and I might be able to convince him to let you go if you promise not to tell anyone about him."

He laughed. "I wouldn't agree to something like that. Not tell people about a beast. Ha! I wouldn't agree to that even if you agreed to marry me!" He frowned and leaned away from the door. "Actually, I wouldn't want to marry you, anyway. I'm not a one girl kind of guy, you see. I like to have my options…" He smirked at her, the corner of his mouth turning up in a way that made a lot of girls swoon. "You were the one that didn't want me. Every other girl would kill to be with me, but not Elliot Miller. No, she was too good, too smart, too _something_ to be with me. I had to change that, I had to be the one to tame you." He paused and looked around. "Why am I in here? You _are_ here to bail me out, right?"

She groaned and ran her fingers through her hair, gripping the curls and wanting to pull them out. She wasn't even in here for five minutes and all ready he was driving her mad. _'Beast drove him mad in less than five minutes…' _She considered playing along, and pretending that she had just made up the beast story. He wouldn't be able to tell anyone about a beast if he didn't remember it, after all. But this was probably just shock from what had happened, and once it wore off he would remember. They couldn't have him suddenly remember when he was on his way to the city. He would come back, with more people. _'Maybe Beast was right to keep him here…'_

"Eric, please listen to me! You found out I was in New York somehow. You must have bullied the information from my father or rummaged through my house."

He frowned and took something out of his pocket. He slid it through the bars. "I did go through your house…"

She took the picture and after squinting a bit she saw that it was one of her and her father at the ice rink. She had it hanging on her wall at home. "It's a little creepy that you were going through my things," she admitted. "But at least you remember something. Okay, so what did you do next?"

"I went on your computer and saw a site about a bar in New York." He frowned suddenly. "I had forgotten about that bar. I spent four days checking every ice rink and library I could find and all I had to do was find one bar?"

Elliot rolled her eyes. Typical of Eric to forget something like that. He probably just clung onto the fact that she was in New York and forgot about everything else.

"I flew here, searched for days, then… Then some creep told me where I could find you. He led me here and…" His face went pale and he fell back against the opposite wall of the cell. Everything seemed to come back to him all at once and he looked horrified. "Good lord! Ellie, what was that… that thing?"

She scowled at him. "That _thing_ is my friend!"

"Your friend? Ellie, he tried to kill me!"

"You tried to steal me away!"

"I was rescuing you!" He groaned and grabbed on to the bars once more, his nose sticking out again. "We have to get out of here. That thing can't be safe."

"His name is Beast, not that thing."

"Right, right. Because Beast is just one step above Thing."

Elliot was growing more furious by the minute. She clenched her hands into fists and tried not to lose her temper with him. "Eric, I can get you out of here. You just have to swear not to tell anyone about this place. Just go home, Eric. I'm safe here and I like it here. Beast and everyone else here… they're kind to me."

Eric shook his head, not believing what he was hearing. "No, Ellie, you don't seem to understand. They're monsters! They aren't normal. We need to call the cops, the news, animal control, something! You can't stay here with them. They must have done something to you to make you act this way."

Elliot didn't know what else to say. Eric made it perfectly clear that he wouldn't be leaving quietly. Staying to try and convince him otherwise would be the same as kicking a dead horse. No matter how many times you kicked, it wouldn't move an inch. "I… I'm going to go now, Eric. I can't let you harm Beast. I'm sorry…" She felt awful for leaving him there, so she said, "I'll try and get you a more comfortable place to stay…" It felt hollow, but it was all she could do. She hated to leave him there, but what else could she do? He would bring more people if he left and they would hurt Beast. He didn't understand, and no one else would, either.

"Ellie, wait, where are you going?" Eric called after her. He sounded desperate and afraid, making it harder for Elliot to walk away. "No, you can't leave me here!"

"I… I'm sorry, Eric. But if you leave this house, then in the end, Beast will get hurt. I can't let that happen. We'll find somewhere else for you to stay, all right? I have to go…" She ran the rest of the way up the stairs before he could say anything else. She closed the door behind her and went to find Beast. She owed him an apology.

-

The witch hadn't been expecting that. When she heard the boy looking for Elliot, she had believed that the two were in love. Once Elliot saw her old love, she would simply forget about the beast.

But the boy repulsed Elliot. It was unexpected, but it did not mean that her plans had been foiled, oh no. They turned out better than expected. Over the past few days, she had learned that the more excited or passionate Elliot was, the stronger she became. The girl exhibited everything that the witch needed and she fed off of it all. With every play she acted out and every laugh and every angry word spoken, the witch grew stronger. She laughed as the girl fought with her pet and then nearly lost her temper with the boy. It wouldn't be much longer now. She went to the garden and stared longingly at her roses. Three perfect roses. _'Tomorrow they will become much more than roses…' _

-

Beast wandered the house, feeling like… like a monster. How could he have acted so cold towards Elliot? He didn't even have the strength to look at her. Carol followed after him, telling him that he had made the right choice, but it didn't make Beast feel better. The way Elliot had looked at him… it was as if she was realizing that he really was nothing but a beast.

"Sir… perhaps you should eat something. Most of the breakfast was burnt after the kitchen staff ran out to help you, but Michael has prepared another fine breakfast."

He just shook his head and continued to walk down the halls. There were some scuff marks on the floor, from their race that morning or from last night when Elliot found the skates, he didn't know. He smiled when he saw them and hoped they wouldn't be cleaned off any time soon. He walked down the hall, heading to his garden, and Carol followed after him.

Flowers and bushes were becoming overgrown, over flowing onto the path more than usual. "This garden needs to be trimmed," Carol said, trying to get her tail untangled from a bush she had crawled through.

Beast knelt down and cut Carol free then put her on his shoulder. "I like it thisss way. I think Ellie doesss, too."

Carol sighed and hung on as Beast wandered through the garden. He sat at a bench facing a small creek and simply stared at the water gurgling by. Carol sat there in silence, a question burning in her mind. When she knew Beast wouldn't be saying, or doing, anything for quite some time, she crawled down from his shoulder and asked, "Do you love Elliot?" He looked down at her and she continued before he could answer, "And not because she is our last chance? Do you love her because she makes you smile? She makes you forget about the difficult times you've had and she helps you enjoy life, doesn't she?"

Beast nodded slowly and looked back to the creek. "When I think about her, I don't think that ssshe isss the one to break the cursse. I think of how wonderful sshe iss and how I can't wait to sssee her again… I love her, Carol."

The mouse seemed pleased with this answer and crawled down the leg of the bench. "You need to tell her that."

Beast looked hesitant and looked down the path in the direction of the house. "I don't know… Sshe wasss angry with me. Now may not be the bessst time."

"We're running out of time, Sir… I know you really do love her, but there is the curse to think about. The witch…"

"I know, Carol…" He knew that they had very little time left before the witch came back. And he knew that when she did come back, the final step in her plan would be carried out. She would wait until she had enough strength to control him once again, and damn him, he would do what she wanted. He wouldn't have a choice. If he didn't tell Elliot now, then he didn't know when he would, or if he would ever have the chance again.

It was hard for him to believe that they were surrounded by so much danger here. In the garden, everything felt at peace, and there was no witch to be seen. It was hard to believe that she would be coming back when things seemed to be going so well. For the most part. The day had been perfect before Eric showed up…

He stood up and slowly began to walk back down the path. "All right. I'll tell her."

He didn't make it very far when he heard Elliot's voice, though. "Beast? Are you in here?" He heard her rusting through bushes. "I'm afraid I lost the path…"

"Ellie, I'm here!" He pushed past bushes and flowers and saw her getting her hair out from a low hanging branch. Once it was free, he helped her go to the path and they stood there, both feeling sheepish for different reasons. Elliot was blushing, and Beast was making designs in the dirt with the claws on his toes.

They both started to speak at the same time, both saying, "I wanted to…" and then stopping.

Elliot laughed nervously and this helped Beast relax. She didn't seem mad anymore. "You go firssst…"

"I just want to… to apologize. You were right to keep Eric here. I spoke to him and he refused to promise anything. If we let him go, he _would_ bring others and… and I can't let that happen. They would hurt you. I… I couldn't stand to see you hurt…" Her voice was quiet and soft, and something about the look in her eyes made Beast shiver, but he couldn't look away. There were so many colors in her eyes, brown, green, flecks of blue and a hint of orange, even. They had a soft, caring look in them that made Beast blind to everything else.

He was deaf to everything as well.

"Beast? You… you wanted to say something." Elliot was blushing deeply, trying to snap out of the trance she had been in, for he had the same look in his eyes and she had a hard time looking away.

"Oh." He looked away quickly, embarrassed for staring. It was never polite to stare. "I… I umm… I forgot. But you don't have to apologize. I am ssorry for having to put you through thisss."

Elliot seemed relieved that he wasn't mad at her and she smiled brightly and moved forward to hug him. Beast stumbled back in surprise as she nearly launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his waist. He swallowed nervously and looked down at Carol, unsure of what to do. But Elliot moved back, a smile still on her face. "Sorry… I'm just glad that we're all right." Her face turned somber and she sat down on a rock nearby. "But what do we do with Eric? He can't stay in that cell. Is there a way we can find him a room to stay in? He can be watched and the doors can be locked… oh, I hate this." She shook her head and rested her chin in her palm. Beast sat next to her and patted her shoulder, still feeling embarrassed and shy.

"We can have a room arranged for him. But… there are other thingsss that we have to talk about." He glanced back down to Carol who nodded as if to encourage him. He cleared his throat and turned to face Elliot. "Ellie… I…"

She was looking at him, curiosity in her eyes and suddenly doubt sprung up in his mind. He looked at her and he couldn't find the right words to say. He was just a monster who didn't even belong in this time. He knew nothing about her world, and he couldn't ask her to stay here with him and shun the world past these walls. How could he have a life with her?

"I think we need to prepare," he finished in a rush. "The witch will be here sssoon… we cannot ignore thisss fact any longer."

Elliot sighed and looked away. She hadn't expected that and she found herself a bit disappointed. _'What were you expecting?'_

"All right… What do we have to do?"

-

Beast had Carol send word to Michael to have a room prepared for Eric and breakfast sent to the garden. He and Elliot stayed in the garden and began to plan, but it was far too easy to get off track, especially when the threat wasn't as obvious as most were. And how do you prepare for an attack like the witch's? They knew that once she was ready, she would take over Beast once again and then… well, neither were sure on the details, but they knew that she would take Elliot's spirit and some how create herself anew with the four roses. They didn't know when she would attack, or how Elliot's spirit would be taken.

"What if she acts like you while she's in control of you and I don't even notice she's stealing my spirit until it's gone?" Elliot was pale as she said this and rubbed her arms, feeling a sudden chill at the thought.

"I think that you ssshould avoid me when it happenssss…"

"How will I know when it's happening?"

"Maybe… Maybe we ssshould avoid each other after thisss day. It will be ssafer that way. And if you do sssee me, then you will know that it issn't really me." It was a foolish idea, and he knew it, but it was better than the other option.

"No, there's too man holes in that. She may not even come for another month and I would hate to spend that much time away from you for no reason." He smiled, but Elliot was biting her thumbnail in thought. "There's only one way she can be beat…"

"Don't sssay it…"

Elliot stood up and shook her head. "No, it is the only way. She has to be whole again before she can properly be gotten rid of."

"And what about you?" Beast exclaimed. "I promisssed I would let nothing bad happen to you! I intend to keep that promisse."

Elliot took Beast's hand and squeezed it gently. "Thank you… but it is the only way you'll be able to get rid of her. Don't you see? You can't have just one of us. It's either both of us or neither."

She wanted to stay strong, but her voice cracked on the last word. She knew that there was no other way. Beast would never be free as long as the witch still lived. And she was willing to give herself up if it meant that he would be able to live. She turned away from him so he wouldn't see her crying. She loved him. Enough to die for him.

"I'd rather have both of you than never sssee you again…" He said it quietly, but Elliot heard. Her shoulders shook a bit, but she didn't turn around. "Ellie…" He turned her around slowly. She was crying softly, and looking down at her feet. He put his hands on her waist and pulled her into a hug. "Don't cry… we'll find another way."

She hugged him back and said, "When I'm gone, you have to kill her. Have a knife on you or something… Please, don't let her hurt you. Tell the others to be prepared to fight her."

Beast sighed and held her tighter. Over her shoulder, through the trees, he could see that the sun was beginning to set. They had been talking and trying to plan all day. "I have to go. I won't let her hurt you, Ellie. And we ssstill have time. We _will_ think of another way." He stepped back from her and looked at her for a moment before turning and rushing back to the house, leaving Elliot alone in the garden.

-

A.N. – Probably my least favorite chapter, and shortest, but I liked writing the part about Eric. I don't know if any of you can tell, but I'm new at writing romance, so this chapter was hard for me.

This story is coming to an end shortly. There's probably two or three more chapters left. I loved writing it and I hope you all enjoyed it! I have another story started that I will most likely post once this one is over. It's another fairy tale based one, but not as common as Beauty and the Beast. It's based off of Puss and Boots with, of course, some original twists. If you think a Puss story might interest you then let me know!

Thank you all for your reviews! Any pointers on how to write better romance would be great!


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